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THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



HONEST FRUIT PACKING. 



:E have so often emphasized the im- 

 portance of a revolution of methods 

 in fruit packing that it seems al- 

 most superfluous to revert to it again ; 

 especially now that it is regulated by an Act 

 of Parliament. Nevertheless we believe 

 that our readers will be interested in an ad- 

 dress by Chas. E. Forster, of New York 

 City, before the Connecticut Fruit Growers 

 on Domestic and Foreign Fruit Markets, 

 from which we make the following extract: — 

 " Who that has stood in any of the mar- 

 kets of the world to which our special lines 

 of perishables find their way has not blushed 

 at the sight of offerings unworthy of the 

 name ? It was but last spring that a prom- 

 inent commission firm at Liverpool wrote of 

 a certain consignment of Russets from New 

 York : — ' It is a shame that any American 

 of character should send such trash to the 

 English markets with the expectation of 

 satisfactory sale. The whole invoice after 

 removal of the top layers is little better than 

 culls.' A society of horticulturists as prom- 

 inent as this, and which is bestowing so 

 much time and thought upon the subjects 

 of conservation of the soil, elimination of 

 insect pests, and the general physical up- 

 building and expansion of orchard and gar- 

 den cultivation, can well afford to supple- 

 ment its good work by allying itself strong- 

 ly upon the side of honorable methods of 

 marketing the developed product. The ex- 

 alted standard adopted by your distinguish- 

 ed colleague, Mr. J. H. Hale, of South 

 Glastonbury, should be an inspiration to all 

 rerious-minded horticulturists. His scien- 

 tific skill in the growing of fruits is only ex- 

 ceeded by a studied choice of the most mar- 

 ketable varieties, while his methods and 

 style of grading and packing has given him 

 a name beyond reproach in all markets he 

 has entered. We have another in our own 

 State of New York, in the person of Mr. Geo. 

 T. Powell of Briarcliff Manor, who, in addi- 

 tion to the study of how to produce, is ever 

 foremost in the discussion of how best to 

 market this great fruit crop of ours. 



** Honesty of method is the prevailing in- 



stinct which dominates the work of high- 

 minded, practical men in all departments of 

 industrial life. The United States may well 

 be proud of the great galaxy of talent de- 

 voted to the elevation of fruit growing from 

 the haphazard standard of former days to 

 that of the scientific culture which gradually 

 but surely is making its influence felt in 

 every rural community. The average 

 grower of fruits and vegetables needs 

 just as much education upon the sec- 

 ondary proposition, how best to market his 

 product, as upon the primary one of how 

 best to grow it. The distributor, or dealer, 

 to whom he may consign withholds sugges- 

 tions for fear of being misunderstood. To 

 criticise a shipper's methods too often means 

 the loss of a more or less valuable client. 

 It does not pay and is therefore considered 

 not worth while. 



"What the markets require is, quality 

 first, and quantity next. Let the peaches 

 be well graded with but one variety in a 

 package. Give generous measure. A crate 

 of raspberries scantily filled nevpr brings 

 its real value. Avoid the pony package, 

 and let the latter be new whenever and 

 wherever possible. The apple barrel adop- 

 ted by the National Apple Shippers' Asso- 

 ciation is the standard of the country, and 

 will sell in any market at home or abroad. 

 The stove-pipe barrel of the Hudson River 

 can ^o to Europe or to New York, where 

 they don't want it, but the great West will 

 have none of it. When using the generous 

 second-hand flour barrel always wash and 

 dry it thoroughly. Flour dust upon apples, 

 pears and quinces means a cut of twenty- 

 five or fifty cents in the price to make the 

 stock sell. It represents a poor economy of 

 time and labor. Use a stencil for the 

 different varieties. It costs but a trifle, 

 and indicates care and interest in the 

 details that is always appreciated. Don't 

 be ashamed to have a brand of your own, 

 and pack up to it. The No. 2 stock will 

 sell under a second brand, which can be un- 

 derstood. Shake apple barrels often while 

 packing the fruit, and the attendant press- 

 ing need not then be too severe to bring it 

 to market light and in good form." 



