LIFTING, PACKING, AND MARKETING, 119 



the proper quantity. Bags are used a great deal, 

 especially late in the season. They are not as good as the 

 barrels; but it is not of so much importance with the later 

 crops, as the potatoes have then matured, and the skins do 

 not rub and bruise so easily, being harder. Bags are at 

 all times good enough for tail, but the best empties should 

 be reserved for the ware when possible. 



Packing 1 . When bags are used there is no great art 

 about the packing. Nothing more can be done than to see 

 that the tubers are clean and well sorted. The grading is 

 most important, as an even sample will always obtain a 

 better price in the market than a mixed one, even if com- 

 posed of rather small tubers. The bags are simply filled 

 until of the weight required ; the mouth is tied up securely ; 

 and a label is attached, on which are written the destina- 

 tion, grade, and weight. All the bags should be made to 

 contain the same weight if possible; at any rate, they 

 should not contain odd pounds, but Icwt., l|-cwt., and so 

 on. With barrels more care can be bestowed on the pack- 

 ing. A little packing material is placed at the bottom 

 before the empty is weighed. Then, as the baskets of 

 potatoes, ready sorted, are brought up to the scales by 

 the pickers, the contents are emptied carefully into the 

 barrels. When these are full they are lifted on to the 

 scales, and if not of correct weight are made so by taking 

 a few tubers out, or by putting in a few more, as the case 

 may be. Allowance is, of course, made for the weight of 

 the empty barrel. The top layer of potatoes is levelled 

 off, but is not "topped up " with fine specimens. Finally 

 a little more packing material is placed on the top, and is 

 secured, either by the basket-work lids already mentioned, 

 or by cords which are fixed round the rims of the barrels 

 for the purpose. Most of the barrels contain Icwt. of 

 potatoes, though some are smaller, and a few larger. 

 Early potatoes that are marketed in bushel baskets are 

 packed in the same way as those in barrels, but with more 

 care, as they are more delicate and valuable. Tubers 



