Handling and Grading 383 



slips his number into the basket on a bit of card or splint, 

 and he sees the basket weighed and the credit given; or, 

 if the picker has no suspicions, the foreman may gather 

 the baskets from the field. 



It is always essential that each picker finish the particu- 

 lar job to which he is assigned. This is specially impor- 

 tant in the small-fruits, for the picker must follow a cer- 

 tain row, and not be wandering over the plantation in 

 search of the best picking. 



THE GRADING AND PACKING OF FRUIT 



One never grades fruit accurately until he establishes 

 the grades in the mind. One must first visualize certain 

 standards, from which departures may be made. 



What is first-class fruit? 



The first thing to be considered in the grading and 

 packing of fruit is to determine what first-class fruit is. 

 Even amongst those persons who sell apples for the 

 export trade, there is very little exact practice in the 

 sorting of the apples. It seems to be ordinarily considered 

 that any fruit sound enough to reach its destination is 

 good enough to be called first-class ; but such standard is a 

 grievous error. The fruit should not only reach its destina- 

 tion in approximately the same condition in which it 

 leaves the orchard, but it should also be attractive and 

 uniform in quality, and capable of being held for some 

 time when it reaches the wholesaler. Mere soundness or 

 perfectness of form, and freedom from all bruises and 

 blemishes, do not constitute a first-class sample. All the 

 specimens should grade up to a more or less uniform stand- 

 ard of size and shape; and any fruit ever so perfect in 



