AKD WIKE maki:n'G. 121 



CHAPTER XXYII. 



GATHERING AND MARKETING THE FRUIT. 



Here, of course, the vineyardist aims mainly at profit, 

 and is often induced to cut the fruit when hardly colored, 

 that he may realize a higher price by being early in the 

 market. But if he values his reputation and wishes to 

 create a lasting demand for. his fruit, he should not mar- 

 ket it before it is, at least, fully colored and eatable. 

 The first Hartfords (a very poor grape even when fully 

 ripe), which are brought into market but half -colored, 

 sour and unripe, generally spoil the demand for grapes 

 for weeks thereafter. People buy them, try them, and 

 pronounce them, as they really are, unfit to eat, and will 

 not touch them again for some time. Wait, therefore, 

 until your fruit is fully colored and fit to eat ; whoever 

 buys of you then will buy again, and his stomach will 

 not be soured and poisoned by unripe fruit. Again, what 

 you may lose in price, you will gain in steady demand 

 and higher figures all through the season, besides gaining 

 in weight, for the riper the grapes (at least, until they 

 are over-ripe and shrivel), the heavier they will weigh. 

 Moreover, if grapes are not ripe when cut, they will shrivel 

 and wilt (as they will not ripen after gathering), and thus 

 will look indifferently if cut but a day or two. 



To ship them any considerable distance to market, they 

 should be packed in shallow boxes, not more than two 

 layers above each other. Paper boxes, holding about 3 to 

 5 lbs. each, are now much used for the purpose, and fitted 

 into crates so as to ship securely. They are more con- 

 venient for the trade than the crates formerly used, with 

 three drawers, and which are, therefore, nearly abandoned. 

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