MARKETING OF GRAPES IN CHAUTAUQUA BELT 1323 



justice to Mr. Martin 1 should state that he paid for the first 

 clusters delivered, and then corrected his idea that no clusters 

 were grown weighing one pound each. 



EVOLUTION OF PACKAGES 



The first marketing of grapes from the Chautauqua grape 

 helt was in the early sixties, and was done by wagon haul to the 

 nearby towns. The packages were three- and five-pound 

 square boxes, packed in crates of twelve boxes to the crate. The 

 Fruit was packed in a tin container, and the first layer included 

 very best fruit that could be had. The clusters were clipped 

 with shears so that the bottom layer would be level, smooth, and 

 with no signs of stems. This container was made just small 

 enough to slip into the wooden box. When it was full, the box 

 was slipped on, turned over, the tin container pulled out, and 

 there on top lay all the fruit first placed in the bottom of the tin, 

 now smooth^ and well faced. Yet we often hear, " Oh, for the 

 good old honest packing!" 



The next package used was the round box, instead of the 

 square one, but packed and crated in the same manner. This 

 bore a fine, colored label that added much to the attractions of the 

 package. The next was the twenty-pound splint basket, which 

 was used in connection with the boxes. Then came into general 

 use the twelve-pound basket, and the use of the boxes ceased. 

 With the entrance of the Climax^ basket, a ten-pound container, 

 the custom of selling by the basket became general; this was, I 

 believe, in 1885. Previous to this all grapes had been sold by 

 the pound. 



The change was brought about largely by the fact that the 

 growers believed the commission men were shrinking the weight 

 of shipments, and the growers believed that if they could sell 

 fruit by the basket they could do the shrinking at the initial end, 

 and save the trade the bother. Many believe that they have done 

 their work well. The nine-pound basket followed the ten-pound 

 Climax basket, and the five-pound basket began to be used at this 

 time, being soon followed by the use of crates for wine stock, 

 which in turn was sold by the pound with the package weighed in. 

 This led to immediate complaints that the package was too heavy ; 



