THE GRAPE • 125 



packing is done by the buyer, or at a central packing 

 house of a grape union. In both cases the results have 

 proved much more satisfactory than where each grower 

 packs his own fruit, as the grade will be much more 

 uniform, and as skilled help can be employed, the work 

 is better and more cheaply done. In shipping, the local 

 market should be considered first, as better prices can 

 often be obtained there, because the fruit can be put 

 into the hands of the consumer in better condition 

 than where it has been packed in a basket, and the 

 cost of package and transportation may be less. 



Grapes in Cold Storage — Unless one ha^ especially 

 good facilities for keeping this fruit, it is best not to 

 attempt to carry it much beyond the holidays, as there 

 will be often much waste. Prices do not generally 

 improve very much after this time and the quality 

 deteriorates very rapidly unless the conditions for stor- 

 ing are very favorable. In storing with ice, the moist 

 air from the ice chamber should be cut off from contact 

 with the fruit, as it causes the stems to mold. A too 

 dry atmosphere also must be avoided, w^hich causes the 

 stems to shrivel. The most successful cold storage houses 

 for grapes are cooled by chemicals, where the tempera- 

 ture and moisture can be more exactly regulated than 

 with ice. 



VARIETIES 



Varieties are classified or grouped into white, red 

 and black or purple. Of the hundreds of varieties 

 known but a very few are of much value for commer- 

 cial purposes, and only those of decided merit will be 

 mentioned. 



BLACK VARIETIES 



Warden — This is perhaps the best very early grape 

 in cultivation. It resembles the Concord very closely, 



