S4^ The Canadian Horticulturist. 



spotted pear rots the whole basket, as there is no estabhshed schedule,|I pre- 

 sent my idea through observation at home and abroad. Fruit grading should 

 be either for the home market or those most distant. First-class fruit should be 

 the largest, most highly colored and most perfectly matured growth. Second- 

 class, fair size, with only such slight defects as debar from the first-class. Third- 

 class, wormy, scabby, irregular. Culls, such as will not pass as third-class and 

 rather better than need be for cider vinegar. One schedule will not do for all 

 fruits. As the fruit differs, so will its schedule. 



To have a first-class pear we must try and grow it, have it well developed, 

 gather it at the proper time and be well colored in ripening. Study the market, 

 using judgment m the assorting for shipment or the home market. The'Jfruit 

 packed in a crate should be alike in time of ripening. Never pack pears too 

 highly ripened or the whole box may be lost. Always sell the highly ripened 

 pears at home. Have first, second and third class, grade them carefully and 

 wrap in thin paper to prevent chafing. Never use boxes too large ; a half bushel 

 is large enough. The sides of the box should be planed to prevent discoloring 

 of the fruit, then if properly handled the fruit will open beautifully and you will 

 stand a good chance of receiving remunerative prices. Never ship wormy or 

 scabby pears ; sell them at home. Neither ship with broken stems. 



Peaches should be graded when the season permits. Varieties differ in 

 size so the number of peaches depends on the size to fill a half-bushel basket. 

 When they run very large, I grade them 60 to 70, 70 to 80, 80 to 90 or 100, 

 100 to 150 peaches to the half bushel. Always have the fruit uniform from top 

 to bottom ; never put bitter, insipid, imperfect fruit at the bottom and top off 

 with a few good peaches and a sprig of leaves — your brand will soon be known 

 in the market. Apples are mostly sold by the barrel having a layer at top and 

 bottom with culls and wormy fruit between. Such apples are of but little use 

 on the English market, for there the fruit must be uniform and well colored. 

 It is said that three wormy apples would condemn the whole barrel. Good 

 apples always command a fair price either at home or abroad. The Continent 

 and English market prefers red apples. In America, red, green or yellow are 

 desirable in localities, and every grower must study the wants of his market as 

 only those who make apple culture a study and a business can know how much 

 they will feel the tender touch of man's kind and proper treatment. Whether we 

 shall have poor, scrubby, wormy, or fine, well-grown, richly colored, delicious 

 fruit, such as the ancients would have offered to their gods, is now a matter 

 of choice with each fruit grower. 



Graded fruit or vegetables are noticed by prince and peasant, and if the 

 peasant knows how to grade, the prince is ready to buy simply because it 

 appears nice and catches the eye. In many instances it may not be the 

 quality as much as the care in preparing for market. Citrus fruits represent 

 a class of which there is no better graded in the world. Especially is this 

 true of Florida and California oranges. The fine grading of this class of fruit 



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