68 



CHAPTEE XIV. 



PACKING GRAPES FOR PRIVATE USE AND 

 CONSUMPTION. 



'HE packing of fruit which has to be sent away is a matter of 

 I considerable importance, and is deserving of a greater amount 

 of care and attention than is generally given to it. A very great 

 quantity of good fruit is spoiled, absolutely spoiled, by careless 

 packing. The knowledge, therefore, how to pack for transit, so that 

 the least possible injury may be caused to the fruit, is of great value. 



In packing Grapes, a natural desire is always felt to preserve the 

 bloom, and a fear is always present with the inexperienced that they 

 are packing too tightly. It may be observed that Grapes cannot be 

 packed at all without a certain amount of rubbing and destruction of 

 the bloom, but if the work be carefully and promptly performed it will 

 not amount to much. In the case of properly packed Grapes, all the 

 rubbing and damage occurs during the operation of packing, whilst in 

 that of careless packing the damage is sustained during transit. 



The great art of packing Grapes, or, indeed, any fruit, is to pack 

 firmly, so that they cannot shift or move about. Boxes are preferable 

 to baskets, as they do not so readily yield to pressure. In packing 

 certain quantities, it is better to make the box of a size to hold the 

 quantity required, and to fill it. The depth of the box should be 

 according to the depth and breadth of the bunches, but need never 

 exceed live inches. The method we have always adopted here and 

 Grapes have been sent with safety from Chiswick to all parts of the 

 world is to place a thick layer of cotton-wool, or of short, dry, specially 

 prepared grass, at the bottom of the box ; several sheets of thin paper 

 are then placed over this, and the box is also lined with paper, one 

 half of the top sheets being allowed to hang over, for the purpose of 

 being folded over the Grapes when the box is filled. The bunches on 

 being cut are laid in the box, beginning at one end, placing them 

 with the stalks upwards, as closely together 'as they can be, and 

 keeping them well up to the top or rather above the top of the box 

 to allow for settling. The larger the box the greater the care 

 required. When the box seems full, a slight shaking whilst holding 

 it a little on one side will cause the bunches to settle down still 

 closer, when another bunch or two can be added, or the space filled 

 up with cotton-wool. After filling the box the paper is folded over 

 the top oJ the Grapes, and all the hollow places between the paper 

 and the side of the box filled with packing material. If the Grapes 

 quite fill .the box after shaking, nothing is placed on the top besides 

 the paper ; if 0mewhat flat a sheet or two of cotton-wool is placed 



