Grading, Packing, and Marketing. 389 



sent to market half-grown, packed in crates. At this time choice green- 

 stuff is getting rather scarce and these Spring Greens or small Cabbages 

 meet with an excellent demand at good prices. Following these, marketing 

 of larger heads should be begun as soon as possible, the field being gone 

 over and those selected which have made good firm hearts. The earlier 

 they are marketed the higher is the price obtained. Early Cabbages are 

 usually forwarded to London salesmen in light wicker crates known as 

 "tallies," each of which contains five dozen heads. Later in the season 

 Cabbages are packed directly on wagons and, where possible, sent to market 

 by road ; in some cases they are loaded directly into railway trucks and so 

 forwarded to market. 



CARROTS. The pulling of young Carrots begins at the second thinning, 

 as soon as the young roots are from Jin. to fin. through at the thickest part. 

 They are at once bunched, then washed and packed, and sent to market. 

 When Carrots are grown on hot-beds the crop is thinned early to the proper 

 distance apart, before they have attained any size, and are then left until 

 the bulk are ready, when the whole bed is cleared. These forced roots are 

 bunched and washed in the same way as the young roots from the main-crop. 

 The size of the bunch varies with the season and the custom of different 

 markets, in some cases a dozen roots will be sufficient whilst in others fifty 

 may be required, and the price obtained varies in proportion. The tops are 

 left on, each bunch is tied up neatly with raffia, and they are usually packed 

 in lidded hampers, or "pads," though occasionally any other baskets or 

 boxes are used as is convenient. They should be consigned in even numbers 

 with the quantity in each receptacle marked plainly on the label. 



Main-crop Carrots are lifted in October. Those not immediately sent to 

 market have the tops twisted off, leaving in. or .so above the crown. They 

 are then stored in sand or in clamps (see page 178), and are sent to market 

 through the winter, as required, in baskets or bags. These mature roots 

 are marketed both washed and unwashed, but a clean and even sample 

 makes by far the best price. 



CAULIFLOWERS. Under ordinary culture cutting of Cauliflowers begins 

 in August and continues to the end of October, but under intensive culture 

 cutting begins early in June. As a general rule the earlier they are placed 

 on the market the better are the prices obtained. When the heads begin 

 to come ready the plantation should be gone over every two or three days 

 so as to cut them just at the right time, as they quickly get past their best 

 by becoming too open in the flower, which should be allowed to develop 

 to its full size but be cut whilst it is still quite firm, close, and compact, 

 and the flower should have been kept white and clean by breaking the 

 midrib of one of the large leaves and bending this over it when it is half 

 formed. Each head is cut with a fringe of large leaves and these are 

 shortened so as to reveal the flower but standing about an inch higher so as 

 to afford a slight protection. The heads are graded into two qualities 

 "bests," which embraces all the large and perfect ones, and "seconds," in, 

 which is included all the small and imperfectly formed ones, but not those 



