Monroe County, Wisconsin - Chapter 45: Berry Culture, 1912

Among the things which has brought fame and much prosperity to some parts of iMouroe county and a subject which deserves more than passing mention is that of berry culture. From a small beginning in this matter has grown an immense business in several localities, especially in the vicinity of Sparta, where the largest interests are located, and around Tomah.

Perhaps the first man who conceived the idea of making a commercial business out of strawberries and bush berries was AVilliam Wells, "Uncle Billy," as he was familiarly known. It seems that his early attempts at growing strawberries for the market met with some success, though his methods were somewhat crude as to marketing the product. He secured cheap tin pails in which he shipped the berries, realizing a fair return on his ventures. He grew them extensively enough so that it was necessary for him to employ pickers. Perhaps the pioneer in the business of strawberry raising and shipping as a regularly organized business was Mr. E. AV. Babcoek, of Angelo. He was undoubtedly the first man to inaugurate the quart box as a container in which to get his produce to the market.

In the raising of bush berries George Ilanchett, of LaFayette. Avas undoubtedly the pioneer in the western part of the county, and doubtless went into the business of raising blackberries as an industry prior to any one else in the county. He purchased of C. H. Hamilton, of Ripon, AVis., a stock of plants of the "American Briton" blackberry and started successfully to grow them for the market. Since then the large fruit farm developed by ]\Ir. Hanchett and his son, William H. Hanchett, has become one of the large, if not the largest, of its kind in this part of the state.

Mr. Hamilton visited Sparta the winter after he sold the stock of blackberry sets to Air. Hanchett, and lectured on the subject at a farmer's institute, going into the raising of small fruits quite thoroughly. AI. A. Thayer, at that time in tlie banking business, and being preA'iously interested in horticulture, became very much taken up with the subject, and the year following he inspected ihc Ilaiichett farm and determined to go into the business. The result was the "Thayer Fruit Farm."' whii-h acquired a state-wide reputation, whicli was the result in a measure of the fact that considerable advertising was done and also to the syslem of "Thayer's lierry l^ulletin," a series of articles issued by 31r. Tluiyci- wliilc ])r('sident of the "Wisconsin Horticultural Society.

The Thayer fruit farm was starteci in 1887 witii tlic first year's planting of seventeen aeres, including blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. Jt was demonstrated beyond all doubt that the soil and climate around Sparta and in other parts of the county was right for the conducting of this industry on a large scale. In 1891 the Thayer farm marketed over 5,000 cases of berries of all kinds, for Avhich Avas received J}?7,074.44, and including the plants sold and the farm produce nuirketed brought the income of the farm to $8,810.76. yielding a net profit over all expenses of $4,316.76. But perhaps this farm, and it is referred to here as a sample of Avhat was the result achieved by many others in a greater or less degree, reached its best productiveness in 1905, when there were under cultivation twenty-five aeres of strawberries, twelve acres of raspberries, four and one-half acres of gooseberries, two acres of currants and eighteen acres of blackberries, and in that year over .$4,000 worth of plants alone Avere sold.

As the vears went bv, this industry became firndv established, thousands of dollars worth of berries w^ere marketed from ditferent parts of the county. Around Sparta, especially, the industry had grown to such ])roportions that every year during berry season many commission firms in Chicago. Milwaukee, St. Paul, St. Louis and other points sent their buyers here and at first when tills system came into vogue these buyers were on the watch for loads of berry cases, a man with a good sized load was stopped in the street and the buyers bid for the load, the highest offer per case getting it. This system continued for a time until it seemed that the buyers were entering into a combination to control prices, which is of course the same old story, and it occurred to the fruit growers lliat Ihcy miglit handle their own product, eliminate some of the things that went for expense and get fair prices by finding their own market and conducting the busiuess of selling the crops of the members of an association to greater advantage.

kind. On May 15, 1896, the articles of incorporation were perfected; as appears in them the organizers were C. E. Tobey, E. A. Richardson, Jesse D. Searles, E. W. Babcock, "W. H. Hanchett, Alexander Mclntyre. L. S. Fisher, C. G. Hettman and W. M. Bowler; the officers provided for in the articles were L. S. Fisher, president ; AV. H. Hanchett, vice president ; W. M. Bowler, secretary, and C. G. Hettman, treasurer. The capital stock of the association was 150 shares at $2 each. Afterwards the articles were amended twice in this particular ; in April, 1906, the capital stock was increased to 1,000 shares of $2 each, and again in February, 1907, to 3,000 shares of $2 each, making the capital stock $6,000. The advantage in membership to the fruit grower is the handling of his crop by the association without his being compelled to look after the selling, his product being delivered to the association and in due time his remittance reaches him. The association first commenced business in a wooden building which stood upon the site of the present building and had been used theretofore principally as an office for a lumber yard. The association acquired title to this property and the demands of the business increasing to such an extent it became necessary to build a building suitable for the purposes of the corporation, 1909 saw the completion of the fine building now owned and occupied by the association, built of solid brick on the plan of what is known as "slow fire" construction, with ample offices, store rooms and a basement with concrete floor under the entire building, making a very complete plant for the purposes of the business carried on. The association now does business the year around, handling vegetables, apples and small fruits in their season at wholesale. The Sparta Fruit Growers' Association has attracted a large amount of attention from people interested in the fruit business and it has become a power in the business world in its line. The wise administration of its affairs in the past under such men as L. S. Fisher, its first president ; AV. H. Hanchett, the present presiding officer ; J. W. Leverich, one of its directors, and E. A. Richardson, its most efficient secretary and general manager, has steadily increased the influence of the association and aided wonderfully in the development of the business of small fruit raising here and elsewhere. The volume of business transacted is very large; it seeks the best markets, successfully competes Avith the products of other parts of the country, and is a striking example of the benefits of co-operation when rightly conducted with business acumen and foresight.