74 



ing, at the same time bringing to light any imperfections, such as 

 prickle marks, scratches, or bruises, which can be rejected forthwith. 



The packing of oranges has now been reduced to a fine art, and the 

 box usually used is the standard one of 26 X U^ X 11 1 inches, 

 boxes being much preferred to barrels, owing to greater convenience 

 in handling them. 



The oranges are then wrapped and packed. The old system of 

 bringing one orange directly on the top of the other has been discarded. 

 They are now alternated, so that eacli orange comes over the space be- 

 tween two, giving the whole more solidity and elasticity and the fruit 

 8s a result, sustains less injury from rough handling. 



The sizes of the oranges are regulated, a big and a small one never 

 being put in the same box. For this purpose a sizer is used which 

 helps to simplify matters very much, boxts being arranged to hold 96, 

 112. 126. 150, 176, 2U0, 216, 250. 



The fruits are then packed closely jind firmly in the box, so that 

 there will bo no room for them to tumble about and be bruised. A 

 thin cover is thf>n placed on, and held in p-sition by two thin cleats 

 across the top ends, the centre of the top being left free. 



The distinguishing brand is then placed on either end, and the num- 

 ber contained in the box is carefully printed on the side. 



Pine Apples. 



It is necessary to cultivate Pine Apples to get them to come to any- 

 thing, and when they do come (o perfection, they are very much easier 

 to handle than almost any other fruit. They also should be cut at least 

 four days before attempting to puck, they are then drained by turning 

 the tops down, resting the Pine Apple between two pieces of wood. 

 Care must be taken not to hang them by the stem, neither must they 

 be made to stand on end; but if picked in dry weather they do not re- 

 quire so much attention. 



Crates should be deep enough only to hold one row, and the 

 fruit should be properly sized, all of a size being packed to- 

 gether, and no crate being allowed to contain a large and a small pine. 

 The stem should be cut not shorter than one and a half inches and no 

 orowths allowed to remain around the base of the fruit, care being 

 taken to remove them, without hurting the fruit or stem. The tops also 

 must be carefully preserved, as they help not only to adorn the fruit 

 but considerably enhance the market value. There is a special paper 

 prepared for wrapping pines; excelsior is often used but not so satis- 

 factorily. 



Bananas. 



Bnn-ina cultivation is one of the easiest in the West Indies, but in 

 the gathering of the crop lies the most difficult part of this business 

 On cultivated land they should give fruit from twelve to fifteen months 

 at the outside. The bunch must be ct with a port on of the stem re- 

 tained for better convenience in handling, the terminal bud being re- 

 moved. 



For the American market they should be cut at least eio;ht or 

 ten days befote they ripen, whilst for the English market it should 

 be not less than fourteen days before the fruits ripen, being 

 what is called three-quarters fit. They are then prepared for 



