166 



this object a label should be slipped 

 through the wicker rim of the basket in 

 a manner showing clearly who is the 

 sender of the fruit. Whether this is done 

 by means of name, number or initial is 

 a matter of arrangement between sender 

 and salesman, but it is most important 

 that the labelling be done in the clearest 

 possible manner. 



Of chips, the square variety with the 

 wooden handle, as illustrated herewith. 



is the most suitable. The handle can be 

 marked with pencil or rubber stamp with 

 the distinguishing sign of the grower. 



I would here like to impress upon 

 growers the advisability of adhering to 

 a 4lbs. chip and to see that the weight is 

 contained. A 4lbs. actual, not nominal, 

 weight is the package which finds favour 

 with buyers. 



(3) Growers may rest assured that 

 chips will show much better net results 

 than pecks, especially when there are 

 large quantities of fruit to be marketed. 

 Small strawberries and fruit intended for 

 jam should be packed in tubs. 



Kaspberries. — Only best dessert fruit 

 should be marketed with the stalks adher- 

 ing. It is as well not to send too great a 

 proportion of raspberries with stalks, as 

 in the event of the demand for such fruit 

 being somewhat slack much difficulty is 

 experienced in selling it for culinary pur- 

 poses. The package to be recommended 

 for dessert raspberries is the lib. punnet 

 packed in boxes of 6 or 12. 



Cooking raspberries are best liked by 

 buyers in 4lbs. or 6lbs. chips. It is highly 

 advisable to always send this fruit in non- 

 returnables, except, of course, in the 

 case of that required for jam, in which 



case the tub is quite the most suitable 

 vehicle. 



Cherries. — Adherence to old customs is 

 perhaps as well in the packing of cherries. 

 The time-honoured half-bushel of about 

 24lbs. for ordinary varieties and the 12lbs. 

 peck for kinds such as Napoleon, Elton 

 and large soft black cherries have both 

 fulfilled their purpose effectively. In the 

 ordinary way it is safe to say that in a 

 normal season the half-bushel is the only 

 package now recognised by buyers as en- 

 tirely satisfactory. Pecks ought only to 

 be used if and when cherries happen to 

 be in exceptionally short supply and the 

 quality being marketed is very high-class. 

 The chip basket for cherries other than, 

 perhaps, Morellos is a thing of the past. 

 There is another package coming into use 

 to some small extent which, to my mind, 

 is not as satisfactory as the half-bushel, 

 and that is the bonnet. This, however, 

 deserves mention. Chips, however, are a 

 useful package for Morello cherries. 



Plums. — Again the punnet has its use, 

 but only for wall fruit of the highest class. 

 Specially fine handsome plums are dis- 

 played in punnets containing only one 

 layer of fruit. Time after time such fruit 

 packed as described has sold to great 

 advantage. 



For the bulk of plums there is no more 

 suitable package than the half-bushel 

 containing 24-28lbs. Incidentally, it may 

 be remarked that growers with a reputa- 

 tion for giving good weight are well re- 

 paid for their generosity, which auto- 

 matically becomes its own reward. Some 

 Middlesex growers have used boxes of a 

 capacity equivalent to half-bushels. These 

 may be suitable on occasions for fruit 

 of a very hard nature, but as a rule it is 

 better to pack plums in baskets, which 

 are much more pliable than boxes. It has 

 been found that boxes are lacking in the 

 slight elasticity characteristic of baskets, 

 and therefore the fruit suffers from 

 sudden contact against a hard and non- 

 resilient package. 



Ripe Victorias, large greengages, 

 Prince of Wales and other plums of a 

 showy nature may be packed in pecks of 

 about 12lbs., but great care is necessary 

 in selecting fruit for such treatment. 



Pears. — Specially fine fruits, such as 



