PACKING AND MARKETING FRUITS 43 



market. Especially when peaches have to be shipped 

 a thousand miles or more, and must lie in the pack- 

 ages some ten days or two weeks between the orchard 

 and the table where they are eaten, it is manifestly 

 impossible to ripen them thoroughly on the trees. 

 The ideal, of course, is to leave them on the trees 

 just as long as possible, and still get them to the 

 consumer without prejudice. This means that the 

 nearer the market the riper the fruit may be allowed 

 to become, while the farther away is the market the 

 greener the fruit must be picked. 



It is undeniable that mistakes are made every year 

 on both sides. Some fruit is picked too soft and 

 some is sent to market too green. The consumers, 

 at least, see more of the latter mistake, and it seems 

 to be fair to urge on shippers at the present day the 

 propriety of ripening their peaches better before 

 shipping. Nothing but long, and probably expens- 

 ive, experience can determine just what stage of ma- 

 turity is best. This varies also with different varieties 

 and with the weather. Some varieties, like Elberta, 

 can be allowed to ripen considerably further than 

 other softer varieties, like Carman. In hot, muggy 

 weather the fruit has to be picked greener to pre- 

 vent the spread of rot. 



The fruit should be picked as early in the morn- 

 ing as possible. This is a good rule anywhere. It is 

 especially important for fruit which is to stand long 

 shipment. 



The half-bushel basket with swinging handle is 

 best for picking peaches. There is hardly any excep- 

 tion to this statement . 



Peach pickers nearly always work by the day. If 

 the picking is to be done by the basket the price will 

 have to be agreed on in each case. There is no recogr- 



