194 



THE CANADIAN HOKTICULTDKI8T. 



"will leave that subject to its proper 

 time, and give our readers a few hints 

 concerning the 



PACKING FOR MARKET. 



The experience of our growers this 

 year will teach the lesson that it 

 never pays to gather fruit before it is 

 fit for use, or is in such a state 

 that it will be in prime condition when 

 it reaches the hands of the consumer. 

 Some varieties of early peaches, as the 

 Alexander and Hale's Early color 

 beautifully long before they are fit for 

 use, and, if shijoped so, will only serve 

 to disgust the deluded purchaser, and 

 spoil the demand. A little experience 

 will teach a picker just when a peach 

 or a pear has reached full matiirity, 

 from its very appearance. 



The most atti-active package for 

 peaches is the round basket, shown in 

 the engraving. This basket is the one 

 used in New Jersey 

 and in Delaware 

 where the peach is 

 grown in such im- 

 mense quantities that 

 special peach trains 

 are required to carry 

 them. But it is too valuable a basket 

 to give away with the fruit, and hence 

 the present quarrels and difficulties be- 

 tween shippers and commission houses 

 in the east, the former demanding the 

 return of all empties, and the latter 

 being very remiss in its performance. 



As we have already stated on page 

 152, the twelve-quart gift basket has 

 proved the most generally satisfactory 

 of any we have yet tried ; and it solves 



all difficulties, both with the commis- 

 sion house and with the railway com- 

 pany, concerning the return of empties. 

 No fruit should be sent away to 

 market without the most 



CAREFUL ASSORTING. 



We have tried several methods, as, for 

 instance, turning out each basket on a 

 sloping packing table, and culling out 

 as they roll down ; or setting a full 

 basket between two empty ones, and 

 placing the first-class in the right-hand 

 basket and the second-class in the left- 

 hand one, and thi-owing away the culls, 

 thus handling each peach but once. 

 Both these plans are excellent ones, 

 but the latter is best in case of ripe 

 peaches, pears or ])lums. 



The most scrupulous care should be 

 observed in making each package true 

 to its face appearance. The practice 

 of some shippers of hiding all the 

 seconds under a face of first-class fruit 

 cannot be too severely condemned, not 

 only because it brings disi-epute upon 

 the shipper, but also because it is down- 

 light dishonesty. 



A few bunches of peach leaves may 

 be used to dress up the top of choice 

 samples, and will serve to set off" the 

 fruit to good advantage. 



THE MARIANNA PLUM. 

 Our readers will frequently meet 

 with references to the Chickasaw plums, 

 particularly to such varieties as the 

 Miner, Wild Goose, Robinson, Mar- 

 ianna and others. It may be interest- 

 ing to know that the general name is 

 given to a type of American plums found 



