PACKING A.VD MARKETING FRUIT NUTS, PEACHES, AND NECTARINES. 329 



shaking. They are then picked up by women and boys, spread about 9 inches thick 

 on a floor (boarded preferably), and turned over occasionally to prevent moulding. 

 In this way they will keep for a length of time, but the bulk is generally sent to market 

 by the middle of December. Well-preserved nuts bring good prices in February. 

 The nuts are looked over before packing, and all small or faulty ones picked out. They 

 are packed in sieves (7 gallons each) just as they grow, with the husk on and covered 

 with paper, straw or coarse hay being spread over it, and this is kept in place by sticks. 

 Nuts (filberts and cobs) are sold in Covenfc Garden Market by the 100 pounds (4 pounds 

 extra being given), otherwise by the pound, hundredweight, or ton. A demand for 

 English cob-nuts has arisen in America, and it only needs meeting in a business-like 

 manner to assume important proportions. Many acres of land in this country might be 

 profitably cleared of the worse than worthless scrub, planted with nut trees, and with 

 little more attention than gathering the crop, at a cost of 1 to 1 10s., would yield a 

 yearly average of ^ ton of nuts, worth 25 (o 35. Green, well-kernelled nuts are in 

 request for dessert on the Atlantic steamers. 



Green walnuts command a fair price for pickling. Ripe walnuts sell for 4d. per 

 pound retail ; wholesale the price is often half, or less the retailer often deriving more 

 profit at a single turn-over than the grower does for a year's labour and care. The ripe 

 walnuts are shaken or beaten down, picked and spread on a floor until the husks part 

 readily from the nuts, not allowing them to lie until the shells are discoloured. They 

 are then cleaned by rubbing in a sack and packed in half-sieves or other baskets. 

 Chestnuts are treated in a similar manner. 



Peaches and Nectarines. Mr. W. H. Divers, Belvoir Castle Gardens, an expe- 

 rienced grower, describes his method of packing as follows : " The peaches must be 

 gathered as soon as they begin to feel soft at the base, and then sent to market as 

 quickly as possible. They require very great care in handling, or they show every 

 finger-mark in u short time, and only realise very low prices. . . . For marketing 

 the fruit the salesmen generally supply boxes about 3 inches deep, that will hold about 

 two dozen in one layer. Each fruit should have a strip of white tissue paper wrapped 

 round the sides, so as to cover the lower half of the fruit. A twist at the bottom after 

 wrapping it round will help to keep it on. Strips of cotton wool about If inch are then 

 cut across the piece and opened out from each end, so as to form a strip of wadding about 

 2^ feet long, and If inch wide. This is carefully rolled round each fruit as many times 

 as it will go over the tissue paper. The boxes should be lined with cotton wool inside, 



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