HANDLING THE CITRUS CROP. 451 



In each box place only fruit of uniform grade and 

 ripeness. The boxes should not be falsely faced and poor 

 fruit placed in the centers. The outer layers should fairly 

 represent the contents of the box. False packing of any 

 kind soon becomes known in a market. 



Don't criticise the commission merchant too severely, 

 for there is too frequently a vast difference between the 

 fruit in the packing house and the same fruit when it 

 arrives in the market. 



Don't ship fruit to unknown commission men with- 

 out first investigating their standing. 



Stenciling. As soon as the covers have been placed 

 upon the boxes they are ready to be stenciled or labeled. 

 Fancy pasters are sometimes placed on the ends of the 

 boxes. In California this is commonly done, in Florida 

 ir is the exception rather than the rule. Upon the end 

 of the box there should be stamped the grade of fruit, the 

 name of the variety, the number which also indicates the 

 size, the consignee, and if the fruit is of fine grade, the 

 namt' and address of the consignor. Growers whose names 

 have won a place in the markets frequently place their 

 private brand only upon first-class fruit, while all other 

 fruit is shipped without it. 



While it is best for a shipper not to stamp inferior 

 fruit with his name, on the other hand, all fruit that is 

 sound and salable should bear his name. His reputation 

 will suffer no injury, if he honestly stamps the grade of 

 fruit on the box. Fruit that will not carry and is not of 

 good quality should not be shipped. Bruised fruit, 

 thorned fruit, cracked fruit, creased fruit, fruit showing 

 distinct marks of die-back, fruits touched by frost, should 

 go in the cull heap. This done, and after careful grading 



