'58 



TR.\NSACTIONS OF THE' ILLINOIS 



On motion of M. L. Dunlap, the Time of the next Annual 



Meeting was fixed for Tuesday, the Twelfth day of December, 

 1871. 



Mr. Starr moved that the examination of new fruits and the 

 distribution of cions be deferred until after the reading of Judge Brown's 

 paper, which was agreed to. 



Mr. Browx then read a paper upon 



PACKING FRUIT FOR MARKET. 



Our Secretary has assigned me a subject upon which it is difficult to 

 say anything that will be new or valuable. Intelligent horticulturists 

 fully understand the necessity of putting their fruit into market in proper 

 condition, as well as the means by which this is done. That large class 

 of people who fill our markets with unripe, ill-assorted, bruised, and rotting 

 fruit, never read the papers, and our Transactions are not likely to reach 

 tliem. They will continue to do as they have done to the end of time, in 

 spite of everything that may be said or written on the subject. 



However, we have good authority for inflicting " line upon line, and 

 precept upon precept," and whatever may seem trite in what follows, 

 will be excused upon that principle. A reiteration of familiar facts or 

 principles — like the quack doctor's bread pills, will do no harm if it does 

 no good. 



It was often said, a few years ago, tliat it made no difference how 

 fruit was packed, or what was the quality of the fruit itself, for it all, 

 good, bad, and indifferent, brought the same returns to the producers. 

 There was some truth in this, partly because consumers were less careful 

 in making their purchases than they have since come to be, but chiefly 

 for the reason that many commission merchants had the rascally habit of 

 making an average of each day's sales, and returning to all their corres- 

 pondents precisely the same prices. In this way the careless packer and 

 the producer of poor fruit, came in for an even chance with those who 

 had put their fruit in market in the best condition. But all this has been 

 changed, at least to a considerable extent. Purchasers, now, look pretty 

 sharply to the quality and condition of what they buy, and honest com- 

 mission men may be found, even in Chicago, who will retiu'n to each 

 shipper the price his own fruit sells for. It becomes every year, more 

 and more noticable that, in all our markets, the prices obtained depend 

 upon the quality and condition of the fruit sold, and this qualitv and 

 condition depend very largely upon the style of packing, especially when 

 it is to be transported long distances by railway. The finest fruit, care- 

 lessly put up, will reach the consumer in bad order. 



SU-aivbcrries. — In our State, at least for distant markets, strawbeiries 

 are put up in the hollow-bottomed quart boxes with which all are 

 familiar, twenty -four of which, usually, are packed in a case made for 

 the purpose. The ben"ies are picked directly into the boxes, and the 

 essential thing to be attended to is the manner in which this is done. 

 They must be carefully handled to avoid bruising the tender flesh. The 



