HARVESTING AND MARKETING 95 



cents per day. This difference might be less where 

 expert tyers are employed, or very low rates per 

 hundred bunches are paid. In any case, the work can 

 be done in a manner that is much more satisfactory to 

 dealers with rubber than with string. This is owing 

 to the fadl that rubber holds the bunches intacfl, while 

 string allows them to fall apart and to become unsightly. 

 Doubtless, in some cases, dealers would be willing to 

 pay more for bunches fastened with rubber than for 

 those put up in the ordinary manner. Even though 

 no difference is made in price for asparagus put up by 

 the two methods, the bunches fastened with rubber 

 bands sell more readily than those tied with string. 



' ' Rubber bands can be bought for two dollars per 

 pound, and the size best adapted to the purpose run 

 about two thousand bands per pound, or sufficient for 

 one thousand bunches. This makes rubber bands 

 cost about two cents per dozen bunches more than 

 string, if the saving in labor is not taken into con- 

 sideration. 



' ' The saving in the item of labor depends, of 

 course, upon the kind of labor employed. In deter- 

 mining the relative value of the two methods not only 

 must cost of labor be taken into consideration, but the 

 charadler of the market as well. When competition is 

 not strong careful bunching is not a matter of great 

 importance, but in many markets it is essential that 

 the bunches be put up in such a manner that they will 

 not fall apart. In such cases rubber bands will more 

 than pay for their extra cost, by insuring more ready, 

 sales, if not by increasing the price. 



"The method employed in bunching with rubber 



