PEACH AND THE PEAR. I29 



aware Fruit Exchange grades are the proper ones. No. 

 I, No. 2, No. 3, and fancy, or double extra. What are left 

 after this sorting, goes to the evaporator, or the hogs, 

 and,'in seasons of great plenty, probably. No. 3 is not 

 often profitably shipped. They are culled by hand, or 

 by Jones' Peach-Culler. Peaches should be handled by 

 hand, and never poured from one receptacle to another, 

 when possible to avoid it, for hand-culled fruit always 

 looks the best, but when the crop is large and help is 

 short, the peach-culler will be found of very great use. 

 When the peaches have been culled and put in their 

 proper receptacles — baskets or crates — they are ready for 

 the last touches, sprigging the tops (if baskets) with 

 twigs and green leaves of the peach, or putting on 

 wooden or muslin covers. We don't often cover any 

 except " Fancy", and don't sprig any below No. i, but a 

 great deal depends on the demands of your intended 

 market. The next step is to take the baskets or crates 

 of peaches to the cars or boat. This should always be 

 done in a spring wagon, and then you can drive as fast 

 as peach men generally drive, and that is fast, I assure 

 you. Loading them carefully, ends the active participa- 

 tion of the grower in handling his crop. 



MARKETING THE CROP. 



Here comes in the most responsible, the most 

 perplexing, and often the most annoying part of this 

 whole hazardous business. The peach is perishable, 

 9 



