194 



The Canadian Horticulturist. 



THE FRUIT SEASON. 



NCE more we are in the midst of our fruit harvest. The 

 good results of the faithful application of fertilizers and o* 

 good cultivation will now be apparent, while it is too late to 

 remedy, to any extent, the ill results of neglect. Hard work, 

 persistent hard work, is the only road to success in our line, 

 for it is the only way to produce fruit of a first-class char- 

 acter. 



The great object now is to place the fruit we have upon 

 the market in such a way as to bring the best possible 

 returns. In our desire to make the most we can of our crop, there is great 

 danger of pushing forward into the market much that would be better never 

 shipped. There is no doubt that it would pay growers generally better to dump 

 out on the manure heap all low grade stock, and expose for sale only the better 

 class of fruit. All commission men agree that it is the inferior fruit which causes 

 the gluts, and that first-class fruit will always bring good value, even in seasons 

 of abundance. 



The importance of a tidy package has often been emphasized by us, and little 

 more need be said here on this point. We notice that the old fashioned 54-qt. 

 berry crate is still in use in some sections, and some dealers, even in Toronto, 

 go so far as to furnish their patrons with such crates, free of charge, in order to 

 insure consignments ; while at the same time these very dealers assure us that 

 a 24-qt. gift crate is the most saleable. The reason is that it holds just about the 

 quantity usually wanted in a family for preserving purposes ; it is more easily 

 handled, and so reaches the market with the fruit in better order ; and, being a 

 gift package, it is much more convenient to re- 

 ship to outside country dealers. The accom- 

 panying Fig. 40, shows one of these crates ; it is 

 strong, convenient to handle, and withal quite 

 economical, being supplied by almost any basket 

 factory for about ten dollars a hundred. They are 

 easily put together, so that, for those not near a 

 factory, the best plan is to buy them in the flat, in 

 which shape the freight is very little, and the first 

 cost proportionally less ; the nailing of them to- 

 gether will then be an easy job for rainy days. The 

 same plan may be carried out with the berry baskets. 

 We notice in Popular Gardening, a basket nailing bench, illustrated as here 

 given. It is thus described : 



Fig. 40. — Berry Cratk. 



