246 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



At our home market when we sell to the retailer and consumer, 

 no matter whether it is apples, pears, peaches, or berries, and in 

 whatever kind of package or measure used, we guarantee the fruit to 

 be the same all the way through as on top. 



I do not think the average way of facing a barrel of apples is the 

 right way. The facing should give a fair representation of the fruit 

 within both as to size and color, and then the buyer would know just 

 what he was getting and not be so badly disappointed as he is many, 

 times by bad packing, which hurts the sale of the fruit. 



For packing peaches we use the four basket crate, Climax basket^ 

 also bushel box and basket. I do not like the four-basket crate for 

 several reasons: First, it does not as a rule bring more than one- 

 half as much as a six-basket crate does, and, further, when the peaches 

 are large two tiers of fruit can not be gotten in without raising the 

 cover with strips, and this gives the crate a bad appearance. I have 

 found by experience in making express shipments that the package is 

 easily robbed by some one while on its way to the receiver or com'- 

 mission man. We pick our peaches when they are just ripe enough 

 to be in good condition for use when they reach the consumer. We 

 do not have much grading to do with the pe.ach. No green nor over, 

 ripe fruit must go into the package. It usually takes from ten to 

 twelve days to gather each variety for market. For packing pears 

 we use bushel boxes and baskets, also barrels. All fruit of fair size 

 and sound condition goes in. I have shipped several cars of pears in 

 bulk and have had fair results. For our home market we make several 

 grades, as some want culls and medium quality, while others want the 

 largest and best. We find our greatest profit in fruit is when we sell 

 to the retailer and consumer and at prices according to grade. 



ON CROSS-POLLINATION. 



HOW CROSS-POLLINATION AIDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND 

 PRODUCTION OF A FRUIT CROP. 



In his paper on cross-pollination read before the Virginia State 

 Horticultural Society, January 11, 1912, Henry M. Dunlap, of Illinois, said: 



"Cross-pollination of plants for the purpose of securing a variety from 

 the seed so influenced, has been practiced for many years. Darwin's re- 

 searches along this line and also in the animal kingdom were published a 

 half century ago. Many state and private experiment stations are at work 

 breeding new varieties in both the plant and animal kingdom that shall 

 combine the best characteristics of both parents. 



"The cross-pollination of which I write is of a different nature, or 

 rather has reference to entirely different results. It has nothing to do 

 with perpetuation of the variety through its seeds, but has to do with the 

 fruit development and the production of a crop, so far as this discussion 

 goes. 



