51 



flaring, so that the sides help support the fruit, and prevent its 

 pressing directly upon that at the bottom a matter of the great- 

 est importance in case of distant shipment. Then, again, the 

 form of the basket being nearly square, the corners only slightly 

 rounded, they can be packed with greater economy of space 

 than boxes. The price of baskets is so small from $7 to $10 

 per thousand that the dealer can well enough afford, when 

 selling at retail, to let the purchaser take the basket along with 

 the fruit, and return it or not, as may be convenient. For sev- 

 eral years I have kept no account of baskets, except in crates, 

 as was formerly necessary with boxes, which cost, including 

 freight, about $5 per hundred. The practice still in vogue with 

 slovenly retail grocers, of pouring the fruit into paper bags for 

 delivery, in the same package with kerosene oil, codfish, and 

 plug tobacco, is intolerable. The purchaser should insist upon 

 having his fruit delivered in clean, new baskets, and refuse to 

 receive it in packages that have become mildewed and filthy by 

 long and careless use. 



Berry crates for shipping purposes are made of several sizes, 

 holding thirty-two, forty, and sixty quarts. The thirty-two- 

 quart crate is used by nine tenths of fruit-growers. It is of a 

 size easily handled by one person, and not likely to receive as 

 rough usage as a heavier package. These crates cost, filled 

 with baskets, about one dollar each. Veneer partitions, called 

 u trays," accompany each crate, and are so constructed as to 

 keep the tiers of baskets separate, and prevent all pressure 

 from those above. 



By the courtesy of the 

 Messrs. Batterson & Co., 

 who have kindly loaned 

 their electrotypes for that 

 purpose, I am enabled to 

 present illustrations of 

 crates, and also of berry 

 and grape baskets manu- 

 factured by them. Their 

 goods have been long on 

 the market, and, so far 

 as known, have given Fi 1Q 



