70 



ties at hand, so as to save the double handling of fruit, es- 

 pecially if it is at all tender or over-ripe. The selector class- 

 ifies the condition of the fruit, as it comes to him from the 

 ship's side. All barrels that do not shake and show no ex- 

 ternal signs of decay, are classified as sound or tight. Those 

 that shake or rattle when being handled, and show no out- 

 Vv^ard signs of decay, are called slack packed ; those that 

 show some juice coming through the heads or staves, are 

 called slightly wets, and those that are so wet with juice as 

 to indicate a considerable amount of decay, are called wets. 

 Each variety and grade and each classification as to condi- 

 tion, are piled separately, a record is taken, and this record 

 sent to the office, from which catalogues are printed. These 

 catalogues are then distributed among the buyers. Two 

 samples of the tights are taken out of every variety, where 

 lots are over 30 barrels : These samples are not opened or 

 tampered with by either buyer or seller, and are opened just 

 as they are put upon the sales platform, one showing the 

 faced end and the other being dumped in the presence of the 

 buyers, into a large flat basket, so that all the buyers may 

 have an opportunity to see the run of the fruit throughout 

 the barrel. If buyers or sellers are not satisfied, the other 

 sample may, after being shown, also be dumped. If the seller 

 is not satisfied with the price offered, he may either put on a 

 reserve price, or withdraw the parcel and have fresh sam- 

 ples brought and shown at the next sale, if not otherwise 

 disposed of in the meantime. Efforts to sell apples, "all 

 faults and defects as landed,'' have invariably ended in 

 failure, for several reasons, one of which need but be stated, 

 to convince. Buyers who have a high class trade, will not 

 bid on parcels that contain some varieties of apples, or on 

 parcels that have slack or slightly wet barrels because their 

 trade will not take them. Those having a trade for these 

 odds and ends, in varieties and conditions, cannot pay the 

 market value for the good stock, because their trade must 

 have a low priced article. 



AUCTION SALE is the method by which the great bulk 



