178 The Canadian Horticulturist. 



During the strawberry season there are many dealers from other cities 

 whose business is to ship to their home customers, and I have frequently 

 heard these men say that " although there are so many berries in market, 

 we cannot procure enough desirable stock to fill our orders."- The self- 

 evident remedy is to plant less acres, to devote more care to securing fruit 

 of a better quality, and cease shipping premature and unripe fruit to market. 

 Producers should remember that the taste of consumers is becoming culti- 

 vated and now the demand is for the best fruits. Each year it is more 

 difficult for dealers to dispose of the immense quantities of inferior grades. 

 To become a successful cultivator one needs brains, energy, capital and a 

 large amount of patience and perseverance, in order to overcome the many 

 obstacles to be met with in his business. Having succeeded in learning 

 how to produce good fruit, the next item is to learn how to market it. One 

 important feature is the selection of proper packages for each variety ; for 

 frequently the form of a package is objectionable to the purchasers, and one 

 who aims at success in fruit culture must meet the wants of purchasers. Of 

 late j^ears the gift packages have become so popular that many refuse to 

 buy fruit in packages on which a deposit is required. Choice fruits sells 

 better in small gift packages than in larger ones. Some growers ship their 

 poor fruit in these small packages, thinking that if the size of the package 

 effects the price secured for good fruit it will also help the price of the poor 

 stuff; but that is a mistake. Another important item is to establish a repu- 

 tation for giving honest weight and measure ; and to secure this reputation, 

 the grower must give the packing of the fruit his personal attention, for 

 some employees think it folly to be so particular, and imagine they know 

 how to do it as well as the employer, and do not hesitate to deceive the pur- 

 chaser, thinking that their employer will not find it out. The result is that 

 the brand is ruined without the knowledge of the owner. Possibly the 

 owner may wonder why his fruit does not sell for its accustomed price, and 

 the receiver, supposing that the owner is aware of the change in packing, 

 says nothing when reporting the sales. Again, the grower is apt to over- 

 look the placing of the fruit wagon in charge of a trusty driver in transit to 

 the station. A careless person can do much harm by driving over rough 

 places without any regard to the tender character of the fruit. I would 

 suggest to the shippers of tender fruit that they follow their drivers occasion- 

 ally to the station and examine the fruit before it leaves for market. I know 

 from personal experience that a large amount is injured in this way and the. 

 loss attributed to transportation companies. 



Let the shipper raise the covers of his berry crates and he will soon 

 learn why dealers complain of the poor condition in which the fruit arrives. 

 In some instances he will see berry baskets resting at an angle of 45 degrees, 

 with one-third of the fruit gone, or he may see all of the fruit in the top tier 

 of baskets so bruised by jolting as to be worthless. It would be wiser lor 



