Grading, Packing, and Marketing. 387 



two ties of raffia, or two rubber bands, one near the top and one near the 

 bottom ; for the large bundles the tie is sometimes a slender willow " twig." 

 Various devices are used for arranging the sticks into bundles neatly and 

 expeditiously ; one of the simplest but must useful of these contrivances is 

 the cradle illustrated at page 151. In making the bundles the heads of the 

 sticks are kept level, and the bottoms are trimmed level with a sharp knife. 

 The bundles are wrapped in paper or leaves (the latter having the effect of 

 keeping them fresher) and are packed for market in baskets with or without 

 lids, hay or similar material being placed over the bottom and round the 

 sides, and also over the top when no lid is used, to protect the contents 

 from being bruised. The produce should be sent to market as soon as 

 possible after cutting as it quickly deteriorates. Different qualities must 

 be packed separately, and the label on each basket should be plainly marked 

 with the quantity and quality of the contents. 



BEANS (BROAD). The Beans must be gathered as soon as the pods 

 reach maturity, choosing a dry day for the purpose. All old or dirty pods 

 must be rejected. Gathering should be done twice a week to ensure the 

 best results. The pods should be put in bushel baskets, covered with fresh- 

 cut grass, and fastened down with sticks laid across. The Beans should be 

 sent to market as soon as possible after gathering. 



BEANS (DWARF, or FRENCH). On good land in a favourable season 

 French Beans mature very quickly. The plants must therefore be closely 

 watched, and the pods picked the moment they are ready. If allowed to 

 hang too long the plants cease to bear and the pods become stringy and 

 worthless. The plants should be gone over two or three times a week, as 

 the oftener the Beans are gathered the better the quality and the greater 

 the yield. The pods of the main-crop are carefully laid in peck baskets, 

 lined and covered with blue tissue paper, with a layer of soft hay or grass 

 on top secured by wooden splinths. Beans which have been brought along 

 early are usually marketed in overhandle baskets ; these are carefully packed 

 as before, being either covered with a lid or with blue paper laced over the 

 top with string or raffia. Each package should be marked with the weight 

 of the contents and all should be uniform. 



BEANS (RUNNER). Scarlet Runners, like the dwarfs, must be gathered 

 very frequently, or the pods become tough, stringy, and worthless. The 

 Beans are usually picked by women on piece-work; before packing it is 

 necessary to examined the baskets to see that the Beans are clean, free 

 from leaves or rubbish, and that no old pods are mixed in. They are put in 

 half-bushel or bushel baskets, covered over the top with a layer of soft hay 

 and secured with sticks. Send them to market promptly so that they will 

 arrive in fresh plump condition. 



BEET. The marketing of Beet usually begin > October and continues 

 through the winter, the roots being taken from the clamp as required. 

 Only medium-sized roots of even shape, and none that are broken or 

 damaged in any way should be sent to market. The roots are packed in 

 bushel baskets with a covering of hay or straw securely fastened down. 



