The Canadian Horticulturist. 195 



fruit in carrying it to the station b}' rapid driving over stoney roads, for 

 which the railway company or express agent often gets blame which is the fault 

 of the shipper. In England it is customary for the driver of a load, even of 

 grain, to drive his team no faster than a walking gait. Here, with a load of 

 perishable fruit, the driver rides and drives his horses at a furious rate to the 

 station, never seeming either to consider the health of his team or the injury 

 he is doing to his fruit. 



In another point we are very careless, and that is the notifying of the 

 consignee in advance of the quantity being shipped. This is a grave mis- 

 take, for very often when a man's fruit becomes known in the market it 

 may be all sold in advance, on the advice being received. 



We also err in not giving more prominence to the variety shipped. One 

 kind of strawberry, or raspberry, is enough to put in a crate ; and by brand- 

 ing the name on the outside of the cover, we shall gradually accustom our 

 buyers to the merits of each sort, and thus get prices to correspond. 



The crate described above is useful for several fruits, as blackberries, 

 clioice currants, gooseberries, and sometimes cherries, small pears and plums. 



For choice apples, pears, peaches, etc., we have 

 been in the habit of using at Maplehurst the twelve- 

 quart peach basket, holding about fifteen pounds, 

 but for anything extra choice we have been using of 

 late the ten pound grape basket, shown in fig. 51 with 

 — ^^^^^^ '— — good results. For raspberries it is wise to use a pint 



Fig. 51.-TEN-P0UND Basket, basket, in Order to keep the fruit from mashing hy 

 its own weight. 

 The half-barrel is a very good package for pears and extra selected 

 apples, but of late we notice that the New York state growers are using a 

 seven-eighths keg, which they claim pays better for the highest grade of 

 pears. 



A little art in all this work will pay. Fancy edgings of colored paper 

 about the fruit are helpful, but the difficulty is to know just where to get it 

 when it is most needed. 



Stencils for addressing the package may be easily procured, but if no 

 place is accessible where the work is done as a business, almost any tin- 

 smith can cut out what is needed. Perhaps the neatest kind of a stamp 

 for the variety of fruit, and the names of consignor and consignee is the 

 rubber one which can now be had so cheaply in our cities. 



Our business is yearly meeting with more rivalry, and it becomes us to 

 take every advantage open to us, if we would not be left behind. 



