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The wise begin at the point of the wedge and develop their busi- 

 ness naturally, healthfully, learning by experience and careful 

 observation, how to grow fruits profitably and which kinds pay 

 them best. There ought also to be considerable capital to start 

 with, and an absence of the crushing burden of interest money. 

 No fruits yield any returns before the second or third years ; 

 and tliere are often unfavorable seasons and glutted markets. 

 Nature's prizes are won by patient, persistent industry and not 

 by Wall street sleight of hand. 



Location is very important. A fancy store, however well- 

 furnished, would be a ruinous investment at a country cross-road. 

 The fruit farm must be situated where there is quick and cheap 

 access to good markets. 



And such markets may be near, and good cultivation produce 

 an abundance of fruit, and still much loss arise from not properly 

 placing the fruit before purchasers and consumers. This leads 

 to the questions, which are the best baskets, packages and meth- 

 ods of shipping. We will commence first with : 



StraWuerrieSi — After spending considerable time in the New 

 York markets, I found far more difference of opinion concerning 

 packages than 1 expected. The verdict of the Broadway fancy 

 tr;ide is in f ivor of the Beecher baskets, quarts and pints, and 

 for choice raspberries, half pints. W. and C. Smith, the well- 

 known dealers at 189 Broadway, prefer crates containing o2 

 Beecher quarts or 4o pints. Wm. N. Ward, 13 Broad st., finds 

 that Beecher quarts filled with large showy fruit, take the best. 

 J. W. Salter, proprietor of the Central market, cor. 19th st. and 

 Broadway, prefers the Beecher baskets, butsa3's that quality and 

 |)rice of the fruit make far more difference with the purchaser 

 than the package. Ohnstead and Sheffield, 1266 Broadway, give 

 their verdict in favor of Beecher pints, well filled, as they admit 

 of such good ventilation, and there is not enough fruit together 

 to be crushed by its own w^eight. They also prefer the Beecher 

 quarts to the square baskets, and the Beecher half-pints for 

 raspberries. At the same time they would much rutlier have 



