THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 325 



days and the black varieties picked jnst as they are colored a light red. 

 Pails or baskets are used for picking ; an inch of excelsior in the bottom 

 covered witli paper, prevents bruising. The fruit is either emptied 

 direct onto the packing tables when the packing is done in the orchard, 

 or into lug-boxes which should also have excelsior in the bottom if the 

 fruit is to be hauled any distance. As the cherry is more perishable 

 than any other fruit shipped East, an emphasis must be placed on 

 careful handling from start to finisli. Otherwise, the returns will be 

 unsatisfactory. The fruit should be kept cool after picking. It is best 

 to pack it the following day after the fruit has thoroughly cooled. It 

 then is not so apt to sweat when loaded into the iced cars. 



This does not apply to cherries picked for local sliipments. For this 

 purpose, they are picked ripe, or nearly so, and emptied direct into 

 small lug-boxes, or packed into 10-pound local boxes. 



The eastern cherry box of two compartments, wliich holds 10 or 11 

 pounds net. is the uniform package used in California for the long 

 distance shipments of cherries. It makes a very attractive package, 

 being surfaced outside, sanded inside, and having beveled edges to pre- 

 vent i)inching of cherries. A carload contains about 2.200 boxes. 



Another ])ackage which finds favor in some localities is the cherry 

 carton. Eight of ^\ese are contained in the 10-pound box, each one 

 holding a])out a pound of cherries. The carton should never be used for 

 inferior fi-iiit as it is a strictly fancy pack and is sold as such. A limited 

 quantity in each car usually sells well. 



The packing of cherries is done almost wliolly by women. A good 

 packer must have a light touch and a quick eye. The packing is done at 

 oil-cloth covered tables which have a narrow cleat around the edge and 

 a box support down the center to rest the boxes against at an angle 

 facing the packers. 



The boxes are faced Avith two layers of fruit, the packer selecting uni- 

 form sized cherries to make nine, ten or more rows across the box. After 

 the first layers are placed, the box is packed tlirough to the back, but 

 not in rows. To make a good pack, all bird eaten, bruised, or inferior 

 fruit is rejected, and the sizes used on the face should be carried 

 through the box, small fruit faced and filled separately, and each box 

 marked, designating the size by the number of rows used across the 

 face of the box. 



After being packed, the boxes are weighed and inspected, and then 

 are put on the nailing bench. The nailing must be carefully done to 

 prevent bruising. After being nailed on the bottom, the top is opened 

 and the facing of the fruit inspected. After renailing, the box is then 

 loaded into refrigerator cars for shipment. 



The chief and most profitable market for our cherries, as well as other 

 California fruits, is in the East, where shipments are made in carload 

 lots and sold at auction. New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston and 

 Minneapolis are the only cities which take full carloads of cherries. 

 From these auction centers the smaller cities are reached by express. 



There has been an average yearly eastern shipment of two hundred 

 and fifty cars during the last fifteen years, ranging from eighty cars in 

 a short year to three hundred during full crop seasons. 



From California a big express business is done with the ^liddle West 

 and South. Los Angeles and San Francisco are the principal local 



