Marketing. 447 



merchants to formulate some plan whereby persistent shippers of dis- 

 honestly packed goods could have their marks branded so that every pur- 

 chaser would know just what to expect when buying one of these lots' 

 A few drastic lessons of that kind would probably result in better packing. 

 Another source of annoyance to the merchant is the short barrel, but that 

 is believed to be only a temporary trouble and one that will soon be 

 remedied.— Fruit Trade Journal. 



HiaH-COLORED FRUIT. 



IsTot only is high-colored fruit more attractive, but experience proves 

 that its quality is also far better than that which has a poorer appearance. 

 In many varieties of fruit not merely the market demand for it, but its 

 eatableness, depends on its coloring. This varies much with seasons, 

 soil, fertilizers, and general care of the tree. Some of these, especially 

 the fertilization, are mainly within control of the grower. He can decide 

 what shall be the character of his apples, at least as regards color. In 

 the first place, an open growth of top is necessary, so as to let sunlight 

 get to the foliage in the centre of the tree. It is not necessary that sun- 

 light shall fall on the fruit itself. It is the leaf and the sunlight on it 

 that does the coloring. But more than this is needed. If the tree is not 

 well supplied with potash fertilizers its foliage will be defective and 

 unable to do its appointed work. 



When the fruit alls off before its seeds form, it is a plain indication 

 that nature has protested against being required to perfect it with insuffi- 

 cient material. It is harder than the Egyptian bondage of the people of 

 Israel, when they were required to make bricks mthout straw. If such 

 trees had been fertilized witli potash and phosphate months before, so 

 that winter and spring rains would carry the mineral where the roots can 

 get it, the foliage of the trees would be kept healthy, and if properly 

 thinned, so as to let in sunlight, much more fruit could be perfected. 

 Xature, however, almost always tries to do more than it can do well. 

 Thinning the fruit, if done early enough, is a great help, not only to mak- 

 ing the fruit larger, but in giving it a higher color. 



