PACKING FRUIT FOR MARKET. 335 



are best over the top, but tissue-paper can be adopted, if 

 tucked in slightly. Use no litter, but only " benders," 

 over the paper. Choice White or Red Currants, fit for 

 dessert, may sometimes go in 4-lb. handled chip baskets 

 or in punnets. 



Gooseberries. Pack the bulk in half-sieves of 24lb. 

 in the same way as Currants, without lining the baskets 

 or using any litter. Fine specimens of choice dessert 

 varieties sometimes sell in punnets, or in 4lb. chip-handled 

 baskets. 



Peaches and Nectarines. These choice fruits are sold 

 by the dozen, and are packed in flat boxes holding from 

 one to three dozen in a single layer. A layer of fine 

 wood-wool is first placed in the bottom of the box, and 

 over this a sheet of tissue-paper. This forms a soft bed 

 for the fruit, each of which is half-wrapped in thin white 

 tissue-paper, and pressed gently into position on the bed. 

 Over the top another sheet of tissue-paper is laid, and 

 on that a pad of cotton-wool, sold in sheets for the pur- 

 pose, to fill the space between the fruit and the lid. Some 

 growers use no paper at all, considering that it rots the 

 Peaches. The lids are not nailed on, but several boxes 

 are tied together in a pile for despatch by rail. We have 

 also seen Peaches very tastefully packed in handled chip 

 baskets. 



Pears. Pack either in baskets or boxes in the same 

 way as Apples. With choice varieties of these there is 

 even more inducement to pack in small boxes of a dozen 

 or so, tastefully Tialf-wrapped in tissue-paper. 



Plums. These go in half-sieves of 2403. to 281b. No 

 litter is placed in the bottom, but tissue-paper may be 

 used, as for Apples, with " benders " over it (no litter). 

 The circular "sugar-papers" mentioned for Goose- 

 berries, etc., could be used instead, but would not show 

 the grade, if any. Many crops of Plums are of too uni- 

 form a size to allow of grading, but some will make two 



