32 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



thoroughly, will leave particles of flour, which will injure the ap- 

 pearance of the fruit. Always use water, it is no more trouble. 

 In packing a barrel of first quality, place the first tier of apples with 

 the stalks down ; after that put in the apples just as thej'^ come, 

 large and small, but taking care to put in none that are bruised. 

 By and by, when the barrels are headed up, they are turned end for 

 end and the bottom is marked, so that that end will be opened and 

 the apples, seen with all their stalks up, add much to their appear- 

 ance and will always command twenty-five cents more a barrel. A 

 ver}' important point in packing apples is to have the barrel packed 

 so tight that there can be no movement or rattling. To accomplish 

 this, use a screw, an inexpensive affair made for the purpose. With 

 this a barrel can be headed in half the time and there will be no 

 danger of the apples being bruised by transportation. 



I cannot allow this opportunity to pass witliont saying a word 

 about strict honesty in packing. The world is beginning to learn 

 that fruit raised so far north as Maine will keep mucli longer than 

 that from the south or west of us. AYhy is it then that Maine 

 apples sell in Liverpool for tliree shillings (.50 cts.) less than those 

 from Canada? It is simply because the Canadian shippers have the 

 reputation of shipping apples that are honestlj' packed, whereas it 

 is a prevalent custom in Maine to deacon their apples, that is : put 

 the large ones at the top and the poor and small ones at the bottom, 

 or in the middle. Dealers in apples, upon receiving a new con- 

 signment, always examine one or more barrels, and if they discover 

 unfair packing, at once knock off' fifty cents or more in price from 

 every barrel. I have not heard of any apples being sold the past 

 season for more than $3.50 per barrel, and yet I received $4.00 for 

 all my Bellflowers from a party who felt sure he could guarantee the 

 entire contents of every barrel as equal in every respect to those 

 on the top. When this mode of packing is universally adopted, 

 Maine apples will command the preference in all the markets of the 

 world. 



MY EXPERIENCE IN OECHAEDING AND ITS LESSONS. 



By RuFLS Prince. 



So much theor\' has been wi-itten upon all subjects pertaining to 

 agriculture, that when your Secretary invited me to furnish a paper for 

 this, I decided to give the results of my experience, and what I 

 consider the results of that experience. I am well aware that in a 



