Picking and Packing 175 



in the field ; separate boxes are provided for these. If 

 only one grade is made, pick the culls also and put them 

 in a separate box. In this case the pickers should be paid 

 the same price for culls as for No. 1 stock ; then there is 

 no inducement to mix culls with good berries. When 

 two merchantable grades are made besides the culls, 

 some growers pay the pickers more for the smaller grade 

 than for the larger. If field-graded berries are faced, 

 this may be done by the pickers, also, but it is preferable 

 to do it at the shed. The top layer may be merely re- 

 arranged to give it an attractive appearance; or it may 

 be faced uniformly, as detailed on page 178. Do not let 

 pickers carry large strawberries in their hands or aprons 

 to top off with, as this destroys the gloss. 



Each box of field-graded berries, or at least one box 

 from each carrier, should be examined at the packing 

 shed. Take the box in the left hand, place the right hand 

 over the top and gently tip the box over far enough to see 

 that the berries on the bottom and in the middle are as 

 good as those on top ; then allow the berries to fall back 

 into place gently with a reverse movement. 



Shed grading. 



When the fruit is to be shipped a long distance or when 

 the pickers cannot be trusted to do the work well, shed 

 grading and packing are necessary. In Florida, the 

 fruit ripens very slowly during the winter months ; it is 

 necessary to inspect each berry to be sure that it has not 

 been gnawed by insects. 



Berries are graded to remove defective specimens and 

 to secure uniformity in size and color. Berries of medium 

 size sell well if uniform ; if a few large ones are mixed in, 

 they detract from the appearance of the package. Ripe 



