MARKETING THE CROPS 235 



the packing-table is circular and revolves, the packers sitting 

 about the table. The baskets are held on the lap and the 

 packer takes the grapes off the table which is turned as fresh 

 fruit is brought in. This circular table is not in general use ; 

 its only advantage is that it permits the packer to select from a 

 larger quantity of fruit. 



Grading grapes. 



Grapes are more easily graded than most other fruits; for 

 usually there are but two grades, firsts and culls. It is difficult 

 to specify exactly what firsts are, since a number of factors 

 must be considered which bring in play the judgment of the 

 grader. At least, firsts must have the following qualities : 

 The bunches must be approximately uniform in size; there 

 must be few or no berries missing from the stems ; the grapes 

 must be fully ripe, of a uniform degree of ripeness and uniformly 

 colored; and the fruit must be free from insect and fungous 

 injuries. It is easier to give specifications for culls, since all 

 grapes not firsts are culls. 



In large vineyards, only good fruit or the best fruit is worth 

 grading. It is more advisable to sell poor fruit by the ton with 

 little or no grading. It follows, also, that the higher the price, 

 the more special the market, and the more carefully the crop is 

 picked, the more profitable it is to grade. The work of grading 

 is done in the packing-shed when the fruit is transferred from 

 the trays into the selling receptacles. A pair of slender scissors 

 made for the purpose, to be purchased from dealers in horti- 

 cultural supplies, is used to trim out diseased and crushed 

 berries. The fruit must be permitted to<*wilt for a few hours, 

 a half day or overnight, before it can be graded to advantage. 

 In this work of grading, the greatest care should be taken to 

 keep the fruit clean and fresh, to sort out broken bunches and 

 to preserve the bloom. The less handling, the more finely 

 finished is the product. 



