CHAPTER VIII. 



HARVEST I * 'G- AND MARKETIXU FRUIT. 



ALTHOUGH the management of the business or 

 commercial side of fruit-growing the importance of 

 which is urged in the first chapter is very largely 

 a matter of personal temperament, nevertheless a 

 few general remarks by way of suggestion may be 

 given to the subject. The business part of fruit- 

 growing is chiefly concerned with the broad subject 

 of marketing the fruit, which may be considered 

 under the four heads of picking, packing, storing 

 and shipping. The actual selling of the product is 

 an enterprise which belongs rather to the merchant- 

 man than to the fruit-grower. 



PICKING FRUITS. 



When to pick. Just when and now the fruit 

 should be picked for best market results depends 

 very largely upon the species or variety of fruit, 

 and greatly, also, upon the distance to which it is 

 to be shipped. The closer and better the market, 

 the riper the fruit should be when it is taken from 

 the plant. If one is fortunate enough to have a 

 special or personal market, delivering the fruit to 

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