MARKETING 173 



gardeners in shipping kale, spinach and lettuce. Almost 

 anything may be packed in barrels. The barrel is the 

 standard package employed by Long Island gardeners, 

 and is used largely by most gardeners in Philadelphia 

 County, Pa., and, in fact, more or less throughout the 

 country, for many classes of vegetables. The barrel is 

 clumsy and inconvenient to handle and far from being 

 attractive; yet it will continue to be a popular package 

 for many of the heavier vegetables. 



Bushel boxes are held in high esteem in some sections, 

 especially around Boston. They are 16 inches square and 8 

 inches deep. While many producers and dealers do not favor 

 this package, it has decided advantages, which are as follows : 



(i) It is easy tx> pack. (2) It loads compactly and 

 hauls well. (3) It is strong and durable. 



There are many types of baskets. The % and y>- 

 bushel baskets (Figure 45, b and c) are widely used 

 both for shipping and selling locally. The hamper (Fig- 

 ure 48, b) is also used extensively in shipping cucum- 

 bers, spinach, kale, lettuce, radishes, peas, beans and 

 some other crops. Carriers of various designs are com- 

 ing into more general use every year. One of the best 

 is shown in Figure 48, a, containing six 4-quart bas- 

 kets. The Long Island home hamper (Figure 50) has 

 proved to be very successful in supplying a high-class 

 city trade, being shipped directly to the consumer. This 

 crate is 10 inches deep, top length 24 inches, bottom 

 length 2\V 2 inches, top width 13^ inches, bottom width 

 io l /2 inches. Crates of various sizes and designs are in 

 common use. 



It often pays to buy packages in the "knock down." 

 The freight rates are less when they are shipped in com- 

 pact form and less storage room is required in the pack- 

 ing house. If possible, carlot shipments should be 

 secured, several neighbors clubbing together when neces- 

 sary to make up a car. 



