WRAPPING FRUIT. 175 



once shipping a lot of fruit in October, by oversight a close 

 bushel box was left nailed up under a bench in the packing 

 house, and there remained several weeks before being dis- 

 covered. On opening, the fruit was found to be a beautiful 

 yellow and of delicious quality, showing that confinement in 

 its own atmosphere was the secret of making it a most excel- 

 lent table fruit. After that I had no more trouble about the 

 quality of Kieffer pears, an experience that has since been 

 verified by hundreds of others. As the best methods for hand- 

 ling and shipping fruits are well known, it is useless for me to 

 more than call attention to the absolute necessity for spring 

 wagons, even where fruit for distant shipment is only to be 

 hauled a few hundred yards. Especially are all berries 

 liable to be jolted and bruised by a springless vehicle in a 

 very short haul, and the slightest bruise means quick decay. 

 While it is very doubtful that much ventilation of straw- 

 berries in cool weather, such as we ship in, is a benefit, there 

 is no question that all vegetables that are at all liable to heat 

 should have plenty of air, nor should vegetables or fruits for 

 long shipment ever be washed or wet, especially strawberries. 

 For the early February and March crop of the latter it is a 

 serious question whether a practically tight package would 

 not be best for them. In distant shipments evaporation is 

 very great, and the upper tier of boxes, on opening the crate, 

 always shows a shriveling of the berries and loss of gloss. 

 The second tier, which is practically tight, shows up bright 

 and firm. This, however, applies only to ventilated or re- 

 frigerator cars. When shipped far, in a heated express car, 

 air would be an absolute necessity. 



