94r PACKING AND CARRYING GRAPES TO MARKET. 



second, cut in March, weighed one thousand eight hundred pounds 

 only - a loss of two hundred pounds by mere shrinking, the fruit 

 having been otherwise well kept. 



Packing Grapes for Market. This is of the first importance, as the 

 prices that may be realised greatly depend upon the condition in 

 which the fruit is received in market. An immense quantity of good 

 fruit is spoiled in transit through inefficient packing by amateur culti- 

 vators ; regular growers of Grapes for sale seldom make any mistakes 

 of this sort, but send their fruit to market in good condition in baskets 

 specially adapted for this purpose. Of those used in Covent Garden 

 Market, fig. 34 represents what is termed a " flat," that is, a flat 

 hamper containing a basket in which the Grapes are placed, this basket 

 being generally known as a " baby " basket, and such as is used for 

 displaying the Grapes in shop windows. The Grapes, when cut, are 

 simply placed in this basket stalk end upwards, a layer or two of tissue 

 paper being placed over the bottom, or some soft dry moss or wood 



Fig. 35. HANDLE BASKET OF GRAPES PACKED FOP. MARKET, SENT BY 



RAIL LONG DISTANCES. WEIGHT 11 LliS. 



wool (cotton wool is objected to, as being too heating in warm 

 weather, and it is not so elastic as moss) ; this is then placed in the 

 square shallow hamper, as shown, and the lid closed down. This mode 

 of packing is used for transit by rail from places not much more than 

 twenty miles distant or thereabouts, where the railway guards and 

 porters are accustomed to the regular handling of the goods. Fig. 

 35 represents what is termed a " handle basket," recommended by Mr. 

 "Webber as suitable for travelling from gardens where only the surplus 

 stock is sold, no regular supply being sent to market. This basket is 

 used for the transmission of all the Grapes from the Channel Islands, 

 no packing is ever used beyond a sheet of paper ; the handle is found 



