Sweet Cherries. 487 



Governor Wood picked in half bushel baskets this summer and 

 then turned into 12-lb. baskets for shipping, and tlie grower 

 wondered why his cherries got into market, which was only three 

 hours away, in such poor condition ! The handling of cherries 

 and walnuts should never be confused ! Unless pickers are closely 

 watched, a good many fruit spurs will be broken oif, especially if 

 the fruit has a tendency to grow in clusters. This should be care- 

 fully watched, as it destroys the fruit buds for the coming year. 

 The fruit should be picked a few days before ripe. Pickers earn 

 $1.50 to $2 per day in a good crop, at 1 cent per pound. 



The manner in which fruit is placed on the market, especially 

 all delicate fruits, has as much to do with selling it as the quality 

 of fruit itself. The demands of the market should always deter- 

 mine the method of packing. This can be learned by correspond- 

 ence with reliable commission men, who would often obtain better 

 prices for cherries and other fruit, if their advice were asked and 

 followed. For the general market, there is probably no better 

 package for the cherry than the 8-lb. climax grape basket, but for 

 the finer classes of chemes and the retail trade (which should always 

 be worked up for the finest cherries) a smaller package is more 

 desirable. There are several packages which hold from six to 

 twenty boxes or baskets, the whole package weighing not more than 

 40 lbs. when full, which are desirable. A package heavier than 

 40 lbs. will be roughly handled by transportation companies. In 

 the small packages the fruit should be made very attractive. All 

 stemless or bruised cherries should be thrown out, and the top layer 

 of fruit faced in rows with the stems hidden. This work can be 

 done rapidly by girls or women, who lay the cherries on the bottom 

 of the box in rows, fruit side down, then fill the box, nail and turn 

 it over, mark the faced side and put it in the crate. If baskets are 

 used in the package instead of boxes, the top of each basket should 

 be faced. The extra cost of facing the fruit pays in the ready sale 

 which it brings. 



I will recite a bit of our own experience of the present year : 

 Black Tartarian and Napoleon Bigarreau cherries were packed in 

 two styles of packages, the fruit being handsomely faced in both 

 cases. A spring crate or case holding 6 boxes of cherries each con- 

 taining 6 lbs. (36 lbs.), sold for $1.50 by one Boston firm and $1.75 

 by another, and $1.75 by a New York firm, or 4^ cts. per lb. 

 Another case holding twenty 2-lb. baskets (40 lbs.), sold by the 



