The Canadian Horticulturist. 193 



work can be accomplished in this way. In Wisconsin an arrangement 

 for the purpose has been devised which is shown in fig. 49, and is thus 

 described : — 



" A little device that interested me was a picking box or form into which 

 the berry box was placed while being filled with blackberries or raspberries 

 by the picker. The box was made of tin of a suitable size to receive tlie 

 quart box. The box has a hinged cover, with a funnel shaped hole through 

 which the fruit is dropped into the berry box within. There is a slot on one 

 side for the strap which goes around the picker's waist. This box prevents 

 loss in picking berries, and, being held by a strap, both hands are left free 

 to gather the fruit." 



MARKETING BERRIES. 



It is strange that many of our fruit growers have so little regard to the 

 kind of package in which they ship their fruit and to the manner of 

 putting it up. 



A great deal of good fruit is plundered in transit from the grower to the 

 consignee, on account of badly made packages, which, in the attempt to 

 give plenty of ventilation, also give opportunity for theft. At the railway 

 station at Caledonia we observed, the other day, a large consignment of 

 strawberries being transferred from one line to another en route for Hamil- 

 ton. They lay on the trucks on the platform for about an hour, during 

 which time groups of boys were freely helping themselves to the contents 

 through the openings for ventilation, and the officials seemed to pass it by 

 unnoticed. It is hardly fair to growers to be blamed by consignees for short 

 measure, which is often the result of pilfering such as is here described. 

 Our Association should give the railway and express companies no rest 

 until these abuses are remedied. We will discuss them at our annual gath- 

 erings, we will wait upon the companies in committee and expose them in 

 the public press, until satisfaction is guaranteed to us. 



Our American friends use pint baskets for blackcaps, and half pints and 

 even third pints for the red raspberries, as they say that anything larger 

 makes too much bulk, and the fruit is mashed by its own weight. No doubt 

 there is an advantage in this, both to the grower and the consumer ; but we 

 look to the question of profit, and unless the smaller packages will sell for a 

 proportionately higher price, it will not pay us. Mr. Varney, of Erie Co., 

 N.Y., says his red raspberries sold at from 6c to 8c. a pint last season, and 

 Shaffer's Colossal for 5c. a pint. We would suggest a general experiment 

 with pint baskets for raspberries for this season, and shall be glad to publish 

 the experience of our readers. 



CURRANTS. 



Currants like all other fruits should be gathered only when dry, and all 

 bruised fruit should be carefully thrown out. Pickers need to be carefully 



