PACKING FRUITS FOR ROAD OR RAIL. 



375 



flexible as the other, is yet sufficiently so for all 

 ordinary work, and it has the advantage of a 

 glazed surface. Such paper we have found 

 especially useful for wrapping any fruits of 

 which it is desired to protect the "bloom" or 

 skin, the smooth surface being turned next the 

 fruit. As every sheet can be cut into eight or 

 ten slips of a suitable size for wrapping round 

 Apples, Pears, Peaches, &c, the cost is so in- 

 significant that it is surprising it is not more 

 frequently used in market packages. The time 

 needed in the wrapping and packing is the 

 chief expense, but with a little practice a man 

 or woman can soon perform the work so expe- 

 ditiously that the comparative cost is slight. 

 The white tissue-paper is also well adapted for 

 covering the inside of boxes, for separating 

 layers of fruit, when wood wool is employed, 

 and it looks particularly well in contrast with 

 brightly-coloured fruits of any kind, but espe- 

 cially Apples and Plums. For light -coloured 

 fruits, pink tissue-paper is the best, and for 

 the dark fruits, blue, yellow, or cream can be 

 used. When a large consignment of different 

 kinds of fruits are being sent to market in 

 boxes or packages of similar size, the use of 

 the different colours is helpful in distinguishing 

 them. It is generally preferable to cover the 

 sides of a box or basket with two separate 

 sheets of paper, so that there will be sufficient 

 to cover the top with two overlapping portions. 

 This is more efficient than having a separate 

 piece for the top, as it is less likely to be mis- 

 placed, and when the package is opened the two 

 pieces fold back naturally as a set-off to the 

 fruit. 



For small boxes of the finest fruits that are 

 to be sold without being unpacked, the use of 

 white paper-lace, like that used for bouquets, 

 will often furnish a graceful edging to the box, 

 but it must be narrow, so that it does not conceal 

 the whole of the fruit. 



In packing of various kinds, where the paper 

 is not in contact with the fruit, and where it is 

 simply used as protective padding, there are 

 various brands of a strong make that can be 

 had from 2,9. to 3.5. per ream, while, as a top out- 

 side covering for boxes or baskets without lids, 

 brown paper in different degrees of stoutness 

 and strength can be purchased at from 10s. to 

 30.5. per ream. We have found a paper of this 

 class, with a glazed surface, at 12s. to 14s. per 

 ream very serviceable, strong, and light. 



Packing Choice Fruits. — The essentials in the 

 packing of all choice fruits are: 1st, they must 

 be perfectly sound and dry at the time; 2nd, 



they must be handled with tie greatest care, i.e. 

 as lightly as possible, avoiding undue pressure: 

 and 3rd, they must be rendered as firm as can 

 be ensured without a compression that will 

 indent or bruise the skin. By attention to these 

 details, by providing the correct form of boxes 

 or cases and packing material, as already de- 

 scribed, any intelligent person should, with the 

 aid of the following hints, be able to master the 

 difficulties of successful fruit-packing after some 

 practice. 



Grapes. — In recent years a great improvement 

 has been effected in the packing of this import- 

 ant fruit, both for market and private use. It 

 was at one time the custom in some places to 

 wrap the bunches up in stiff paper and then 

 pack them in paper shavings, filling up with the 

 same material and then closing the lid of the 

 box or basket to secure them all. Another plan 

 was to employ soft tissue - paper round the 

 bunches and fill in with cotton wadding until 

 sufficiently firm. But with neither of these 

 methods could the bloom be preserved, and the 

 bunches often turned out in a condition that 

 would not give much satisfaction at the present 

 time. The only other mode which has been in 

 general use in Britain has been that which, with 

 some modifications and improvements, is still 

 employed for Grapes intended for exhibition. 

 In this method sloping boards or blocks are 

 padded on the surface with cotton wadding or 

 dry moss, covered with tissue-paper, upon which 

 the bunches are rested, being secured by the 

 stalk, and portion of the stem attached, to the 

 top of the board. These boards are then placed 

 into cases, where they are fastened so that the 

 bunches are kept point downwards. Such cases 

 must always, for safety, be sent in the charge 

 of some person, as they must be kept perfectly 

 upright, and removed with the greatest care, or 

 the fruit is certain to be injured, if not rendered 

 absolutely useless for the intended purpose. 



For general conveyance by rail this method is 

 too costly and laborious, and the large growers 

 for market soon realized the defects in the 

 ordinary systems and set about remedying them. 

 Although at one time it was thought almost 

 impossible to send Grapes any distance without 

 greatly damaging the "bloom", yet now many 

 tons are sent into the chief markets from 

 vineries hundreds of miles away, with the 

 "bloom" as fresh and the fruit as good as if 

 only just cut from the vines. This is effected 

 mainly by two methods : 1st the " Baby" basket 

 system ; and 2nd, the Cross-handled basket plan. 

 In the former a shallow basket is employed, 



