130 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



and that other fruit-farmers must develop sufficient skill to raise 

 choicer things for more restricted and better markets. As a whole, 

 fruit-growing is not overdone, particularly if the foreign markets are 

 properly encouraged and supplied ; but in particular places and cases 

 it is overdone. Some fruits are not capable of indefinite extension. 

 Success in fruit-growing is quite as much the hunting out of a market 

 as the raising of the fruit ; and the market problem should be clearly 

 in mind from the moment the plantation is planned. (Cornell E. S. 

 B. 153.) 



The one great object in growing fruit is to sell it at a profit. 

 Fruit-growing is a business, and as such is dependent upon business 

 methods and principles quite as much as the manufacture and sale 

 of boots and shoes, of steel implements, or of other articles. The 

 manufacturer realizes that the success of his business depends upon 

 the proper distribution and sale of his products, and he pays as much 

 attention to the selling as he does to the manufacturing. It is the 

 business of the fruit-growers, either for themselves or through their 

 agents, to study commercial methods and principles and apply them 

 to their industry. With the establishment of better distribution and 

 business methods in marketing fruits, the dangers from overproduc- 

 tion will largely be avoided. 



This means, first of all, the production of first-class fruits, uni- 

 formly and honestly graded and packed and delivered to the con- 

 sumer in sound and attractive condition. This is the business of the 

 growers, and is the fundamental factor upon which depends the suc- 

 cess of the industry. Too often the growers have ascribed the cause 

 of their difficulties to others to the shippers, to the transportation 

 companies, to commission merchants, or even to the weather losing 

 sight of the fact that with the exercise of a little care and good judg- 

 ment on their part many of these difficulties would not exist. It fre- 

 quently happens that after a grower has used the utmost care in 

 producing his crop he nullifies all through the handling he gives it 

 in preparing it for market. It does not matter how excellent his or- 

 chard practices are, if his fruit does not reach the markets in sound 

 and attractive condition he may find that he receives no more for his 

 crop than a more careless or slipshod neighbor, and he is at a loss 

 to understand why. (Y. B. 1909.) 



Picking. The marketing of the fruit begins with the picking. 

 This is the first step in selling it. No matter how carefully other de- 

 tails are attended to, the picking must be done properly or the price 

 of the fruit will be greatly reduced. Fruit that has become too ripe 

 or that has been roughly handled in picking must be sold at a re- 

 duced price, and often is altogether unsalable. To secure the high- 

 est prices the picking must be by hand, be done at the right time, 

 and with the greatest care. 



The precise time to pick fruit can be determined only by expe- 

 rience. No exact rule applying to every class of fruit can be pre- 

 scribed. Strawberries are picked when they begin to turn red, and 

 raspberries when the fruit parts readily from the stem on which it 

 grows, Blackberries and dewberries may be gathered as soon as 



