3*4 



THE FRUIT GROWER'S GUIDE. 



or flour barrels must not be used for packing apples for market, but these and sacks are 

 generally employed for sending apples by the ton to jam factories. Care should be 

 taken to send good weight and good fruit, then there will be no difficulty in finding 

 purchasers. 



Apricots. These should be gathered as soon as they are well coloured and before 

 they get soft. The fruit must be carefully packed in small shallow boxes, just deep 

 enough to hold one layer, lining the sides and ends with lace-edged paper standing up 

 about inch so as to fold over the fruit and form a fringe. Paper shavings, woodwool, 

 or dry, clean, soft moss may be used on the bottom to raise the fruit to the required level, 

 just even with the edges of the box, and some blue or pink tissue paper be placed 



between them, so as to leave the upper part bare when 

 the box is opened without disturbing the fruit. A sheet 

 of clean white paper being placed over the fruit, the 

 fringe turned down, and fitting evenly and tightly with- 

 out crushing the fruit, affix the lid lightly with one or at 

 most two tacks at each end. Apricots for preserving or 

 crystallising maybe packed in boxes: (1) capacity 10 

 pounds, inside measurements length 16J inches, width 

 lOf inches, depth 2J inches ; (2) capacity 22 pounds, 

 inside measurements length 18| inches, width 11| 

 inches, depth 4-f inches. The boxes must be lined with 

 clean paper, the fruit packed tightly (without crushing) 

 to prevent its shifting and being damaged in transit. 



Preserving apricots should be evenly coloured, but not soft, when gathered. Soft 

 apricots travel badly and only keep sound three or four days. 



Cherries. These are mainly gathered in Kent by women, but elsewhere boys 

 and men are employed. The fruit must be ripe, evenly coloured, and free from 

 damage. Cherries are usually packed in half-sieves, holding 24 pounds. Early 

 and choice Bigarreau and other kinds are placed in quarter-sieves, holding 12 

 pounds. The baskets are lined with clean paper, folded over the fruit, a little grass or 

 similar material placed on the paper, and then secured with split hazel sticks in 

 the form of a cross. All cherries must be gathered when perfectly dry. Choice 

 fruit may be packed in boxes, capacity 10 pounds; inside measurements length 

 inches, width lOf inches, depth 2 inches. Very fine cherries may be 



Fig. 75. BAKEBT, OF BBITISH APPLES. 



