CHAPTER X. 

 HARVESTING AND MARKETING. 



THE grower is the producer. He is the man who furnishes 

 produce, and this is true with fruits and vegetables as well as 

 all agricultural crops. Most growers are honest, but they are 

 poor business men, and their lack of knowledge concerning 

 business ways often cause many failures. The producer 

 should realize that it is not only necessary to grow the 

 produce well, but it is equally as important to harvest it 

 properly. If the produce is well harvested and properly 

 packed there is a market for it. There is always a demand for 

 fancy or first-class products, but poor and second-class goods 

 are usually a loss to the producer. 



Harvesting Produce. All produce, whether vegetables or 

 fruit, must be carefully harvested. It is essential to gather it 

 at the proper time. The time for picking produce necessarily 

 varies, and it is determined chiefly as to whether it is for local 

 or for distant consumption. 



All produce that is harvested should be made presentable. 

 Such crops as the potatoes, radishes, turnips and a few 

 others should be washed before they are sold. Some crops 

 should also be graded in order to make a uniform package. 



Many of the horticultural crops should be harvested at 

 a definite time. This is particularly true of such crops as 

 the strawberries, blackberries, tomatoes, melons, sweet corn 

 and many others. If these crops of a perishable nature are 

 allowed to remain too long on the plant they become inferior 

 in quality, and in many cases they are a total loss. Crops 

 of this kind should be harvested as soon as they are ripe and 

 they should never be allowed to become over-ripe, because 

 an over-ripe product is as worthless as a green product. 



Harvesting Period. The period during which all crops 

 should be harvested varies with the crop. Certain crops, as 



