Leave the Stems On. 385 



them to become discolored. The picker must always 

 bear in mind that every evidence of fruits having 

 been touched by the hands detracts from their market 

 value. Strawberries should always be picked with 

 the stems on. A berry which has the hull pulled 

 out is not fit for the market. The picker should 

 grasp the stem itself and pinch it off between the 

 thumb and the finger. 



Upon all fruits which grow on a distinct pedicel 

 or stem, this stem should be allowed to remain. 

 Pears which have the stems pulled out or broken 

 in two are never first-class fruits, no matter how 

 good and uniform the specimens otherwise may 

 be. This is even true of apples when they are 

 put up for the finest dessert trade ; but as they 

 are ordinarily handled, very little attention is paid 

 to leaving the stems on. Leaving the stems on is 

 vital to the handling of plums and cherries, not 

 only because the market demands it, but because 

 the fruit will be very likely to rot if the stems 

 are pulled out, and they will not pack so snugly, 

 and will not stand the transportation so well. The 

 stems of cherries, plums and currants, and the hulls 

 of strawberries, serve a most useful purpose in hold- 

 ing the fruits in place in the box or basket, and 

 in taking up the slack from settling or shrinkage. 



A word may be expected in respect to the ex- 

 act methods of handling fruit in the field. It is 

 only in rare cases that fruit should be sent to the 

 market in the packages in which the pickers place 

 it ; that is, it will need to be sorted from these 



