167 



the Doyenne du Cornice and other choicf^ 

 varieties, are shown and sold to best ar*. 

 vantage in trays containing from 6 to IS 

 pears, carefully wrapped in pink paper, 

 sufficient to cover half of each specimen. 

 All thv- fruit should rest on fine quality 

 aspen wood wool. In every box there 

 must be placed a ticket clearly indicating 

 the name of the grower and the number 

 of pears contained. 



Other choice dcfsert kinds may bo 

 jjacked either in half-bushels or -the more 

 modern " i bushel " box, measuring 20in. 

 X llin. X Sin., capable of holding from 48 

 to 100 pears in two layers. This is a copy 

 of an American illustration showing the 

 fruit wrapped in papers. For the English 

 trade these wrappers are not necessary. 



Common and cheapest varieties have 

 proved sufficiently remunerative in 

 bushels. At the moment there is nothing 

 better in vogue. If a prophecy may be 

 ventured, it is that in the course of a few- 

 years the bushel box will supersede the 

 basket, though at the moment baskets are 

 more in favour with growers. Growers who 

 contemplate using boxes will be well ad- 

 vised to cover one end of the box with an 

 artistic design (registered), which will 

 act as a label and at the same time indi- 

 cate the quantity of fruit in the package. 



Special Notes on the Use of Leaves, 

 Grass, etc. 



Gooseberries. — Pack with rhubarb 

 leaves or cabbage leaves, or long grass, 

 cross sticks on top, chips to be strung 

 crosswise. 



R.ASPBERRiES. — Wherever possible put no 

 packing on top, but when sending by rail 

 use paper covers only if absolutely neces- 

 sary. If practical to avoid use of paper 

 covers, profit by such avoidance because of 

 the juice which is almost certain to stain 

 many of the papers, thus making the sale 

 of the fruit more difficult. Invariably 

 raspberries without paper covers sell 

 best. 



Strawberries. — Same remarks as to 

 raspberries. 



Plums. — Cover with blue paper, fasten 

 down with two or three sticks, flat ones 

 for preference. If the fruit is in very hard 

 condition a little green grass or nettles 

 may be used. When two or three varieties 



are sent in one consignment it may be 

 well to use varied coloured wrappings, so 

 that the salesman may quickly discern 

 the different qualities of fruit. 



Cherriks. — Treat in the same manner 

 as plums. 



Apples in Boxes. 



To deal adequately with this topic 

 would require volumes, but owing to 

 limitations of space indulgence is craved 

 for a somewhat brief expression of 

 opinion on this all-important question, the 

 solution of which is of vital importance 

 to the futui-e of apple culture in the 

 British Isles. 



Ill-timed and oft-repeated censure is 

 apt to nauseate, so just for once it may 

 be well to pass over the shortcomings of 

 the English apple-grower. After all, such 

 are mostly sins of the past, for the 

 majority of orchardists of to-day grow 

 good, saleable varieties of apples, the 

 quality of which is altogether satisfac- 

 tory. Then why lose much of the trade 

 to which they are justly entitled in their 

 own markets merely by reason of un- 

 attractive packing? 



In the race for supremacy the apple- 

 grower must increase his pace to equal, 

 if not excel, that of his foreign and 

 colonial rivals who have realised that 

 packing has a most important bearing 

 upon the sale of fruit, and have studied 

 its points in detail with satisfactory re- 

 sults. Then let the British grower do 

 likewise. 



It was in the apple season of 1911 that 

 the first serious efforts were made to com- 

 bat the increasing tendency on the part of 

 the buyers to purchase colonial and 

 American apples. In other words, not 

 until that year did several leading growers 

 decide to give the box packing a fair trial. 

 Hitherto just a few sporadic efforts have 

 been made, such as the marketing of 

 choice Cox's Orange Pippins in peach 

 trays, a mode which is perhaps the best 

 for really fine fruit. First-grade Cox's 

 or King Pippins, or any other specially 

 good large dessert fruit, show up well in 

 trays of the following dimensions: — 



Dimensions of Box and Number of Fruits. 



These trays should be used for that 

 class and grade of fruit and no other. For 



