1 6 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING 



can apples and a general disappointment that none 

 were offered. The crop of 1897 was short, however, 

 and prices were so good in New York, Boston, Phila- 

 delphia, and Baltimore that nobody cared to take the 

 risk of shipping to Germany. This is likely to be the 

 situation at least for many years to come. 



When shipments are made to the European market 

 certain precautions are to be observed. First, only 

 firm, solid fruit of fine appearance should be shipped. 

 As in the general domestic market, high quality is not 

 so important as attractive appearance. But the fruit 

 must be the very best in shipping quality, and such as 

 will sell for the highest price. This is imperative. 

 Freights and other charges are so high that they con- 

 sume the entire receipts from poor or mediocre fruit. 

 It costs just as much to ship and sell a barrel of poor 

 apples as a barrel of good ones, and it is only on the 

 good barrel that there is enough left over to bring any- 

 thing back to the shipper. 



In the second place, considerably greater pains than 

 usual must be taken in packing. The ocean voyage, 

 often on a lurching, pitching ship, and the rough 

 handling on the docks, severely test the best packing. 

 If there is the least slack space the fruit immediately 

 begins to be bruised, and, in many cases, arrives in 

 the market a shapeless mess of mush. The circum- 

 stances would indicate the propriety of shipping fruit 

 wrapped and packed in small packages. Unfortunately 

 for the theory of it, this treatment has not been gener- 

 ally profitable with apples. Perhaps it will do better 

 in the future. 



In the third place, European shipments should be 



