288 HARVESTING AND MARKETING 



bunching are string, raffia, tape, and rubber bands. The rubber 

 bands are especially useful in the bunching of asparagus. 



Grading. — The different specimens in a crop, and even in a 

 single picking or pulling, are likely to differ widely in size, shape 

 and degree of perfection. If these widely differing specimens are 

 placed indiscriminately into the same bunch or package, the 

 smallest, most misshapen and altogether most undesirable speci- 

 mens appear most prominently when subjected to the scrutiny of 

 the prospective buyer. In fact, one or two markedly inferior 

 specimens will sometimes ruin the sale of the entire lot. Fairly 

 good specimens appear decidedly common when in company with 

 others that are superior; they sell better in separate packages. 

 Therefore, grading is essential in the case of nearly all vegetables 

 in which there are conspicuous differences in the size, shape, color, 

 or degree of perfection of the various specimens. The greater 

 the differences, the larger the number of grades which should be 

 made. Usually it will be found advisable to make at least two 

 grades for market, besides the culls that are discarded. When the 

 market is high or vegetables are scarce, a much larger number may 

 sometimes be made, as in the case of greenhouse cucumbers, of 

 which as many as six distinct grades are sometimes made. 



The grading of tomatoes will serve to illustrate the principles 

 involved in the grading of vegetables in general and indicate the 

 kinds of differences that may determine the grade of different 

 specimens. 



Tomatoes should be graded before they are sent to market. 

 Much of the dissatisfaction with tomatoes on the market, and much 

 loss in the hands of the retailers, are due to the fact that many 

 tomatoes are sent to market which should never have left the 

 premises of the grower. This applies particularly to specimens 

 which are so badly cracked that the juice oozes from them before 

 they reach the market. One leaking tomato in a crate is likely 

 to ruin the sale of the entire package, for if it leaks enough to be 

 detected, the crate is designated as a " leaker " and is sold at a 

 decided discount. Rough or over-ripe specimens or those of very 

 small size are almost as objectionable, for they spoil the sale of 

 good specimens if placed in the same package, and if packed alone 

 they often fail to bring enough on the market to pay for the ex- 

 penses of marketing. 



In grading tomatoes, then, all badly cracked, rough, over- 

 ripe, or under-sized specimens should be discarded as culls. The 



