366 



SMALL FRUIT CULTTJRIST. 



to market is too great ; under such circumstances it is 

 best not to expect it, but rather to ship the fruit in cheap 

 baskets, unless it will bring enough more to pay for pack- 

 ing in a better style. 



The tendency of late years is to let the basket or box 

 go with the fruit to the purchaser, and it is really the 

 better plan, because after a box or basket has been once 

 used for berries, it is usually badly stained, and really 

 unfit for further use. There are thousands of men in our 

 cities who will stop at the market or fruit stands, and 

 purchase a few quarts of berries on their way home in 

 the evening, if sold boxes and all, but if required to re- 

 turn the packages, or compelled to furnish some con- 

 venient vessel for carrying the fruit, they would pass by 

 without purchasing. For these and other reasons whicr 

 might be given, the grower will find it for his own inter 



est to use what are termed thf 

 gift box or basket wheneve 

 possible. The grape growers 

 have, of late years, adopted 

 the free box, and their sales, 

 as a result, have greatly in- 

 creased, and without lessen- 

 ing their profits. 



The most common basket 

 used for the New York mar- 

 ket is what is called the Jer- 

 sey Strawberry basket, figure 

 108 ; it requires from five to 

 seven to hold a quart. Of 

 late years this basket is less 



Fig. 108. JERSEY BA.SKET. i j_i _c i 



used than formerly, except 



for the smaller varieties of the Strawberry. They are 

 usually made by the fruit growers themselves in winter, 

 but sometimes they are made for sale, and the price varies 

 from ten dollars to fifteen dollars per thousand. A half 



