STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 77 



his reputation by careful, business-like, systematic work in every 

 department of his fruit growino;, and by thorough honesty in the 

 packing. It is an old adage tliat honesty is the best policy. If 

 you are mean and dishonest at heart and want to cheat every man 

 you deal with don't do it, it won't pay ; if 3'ou are after the dollars 

 and cents, be honest. I am not preaching a sermon now ; I am 

 talking dollars and cents. 



I am satisfied after several years of careful stud}' of the markets, 

 both East and West, that we are ventilating our baskets and crates 

 too much, and by allowing so much air to reach our berries we are 

 not keeping them in good condition as long as we might. Of course 

 when berries are picked in the heat of tbe day and packed at once, 

 they must go in ventilated baskets and crates, also, if wet from rain 

 or dew they will dr}- off and keep longer when well ventilated, but I 

 am clearly of the opinion that if we pick our berries in the cool of 

 the day, or if picked when warm, we will at once send them to a 

 cooling room and when thoroughly cooled pack them iu tight boxes 

 or baskets in crates where the air will not directly reach them, 

 berries will keep twice as long and in better condition than they do 

 now in what we call our best ventilated packages. I have stated 

 that strawberries are usually over ventilated in packi g. In support 

 of that, you will notice that when a market man has kept his straw- 

 berries about as long as p )3sible, the last thing he will do will be to 

 turn them over, bringing the fruit from the bottom of the box to the 

 top. Why ? because the air has been kept from the bottom berries 

 and so they have kept better. 



It is usually good policy to conform to the customs of the market 

 whose trade we seek. However, where we find these that have not 

 attained a high standard, it may be well to humor them to the extent 

 of sending second-class fruit; in the old style, and market our best in 

 the most approved packages attainable. It will attract attention to 

 our goods, and win favor and custom, especially if we guarantee 

 every package to be as represented. We cannot afford to spend 

 eleven months of careful cultivation of our fruits, and then accept 

 inferior prices, simply for the want of a little care in the details of 

 marketing. 



RASPBERRIES. 



Raspberries, red, black and yellow, following strawberries as they 

 do, should next receive attention from one who is after money in 

 small fruits. These require much the same soil as strawberries. 



