376 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



with the side 4 to 6 inches high, which is slightly ployed, stout wooden hoops are sometimes arched 



padded with soft, dry moss covered with soft 

 tissue-paper, or several layers of paper are used 

 alone. Upon this are laid the bunches of Grapes 

 with the points to the centre, and the stalks at 

 the top of the basket sides, where they are 



Fig. 1140.— Grapes in flat basket with lid. Packed with paper. 



tightly secured. Considerable skill, the result 

 of experience and practice, is displayed in at 

 once placing the bunches close together so that 

 they fit in well, thus securing each other and 

 avoiding the necessity for shifting them for re- 

 arranging. When well done it is astonishing 

 how firmly Grapes thus packed are 

 fixed in the baskets, which ma}' be 

 tilted to a large extent without dis- 

 turbing them, and with ordinary 

 fair treatment they will travel a long 

 distance without shifting. These 

 " Baby" baskets, as they are termed, 

 are then fitted into and secured in 

 other larger baskets, each provided 

 with a lid, which is properly fastened 

 and duly labelled. The last-named 

 is an important part of the proceed- 

 ing, for it should be clearly indi- 

 cated in large letters that the basket 

 must be kept one side upwards, as 

 well as showing what the basket contains, its 

 destination, and the sender's name. It is well, 

 in fact, to have two labels for these purposes, 

 rather than run the risk of not making the 

 details conspicuous. 



The Cross-handled basket system is managed 

 in a similar way, but these are deeper, and the 

 bunches are nearly in a vertical position. They 

 are placed in with the same care to ensure due 

 fitting, and when baskets without lids are em- 



over the sides next to the handle, and these 

 again are covered with stout brown paper tied 

 round the rim-edge of the basket. If the hoops 

 are not employed the sides are papered as in 

 the other case, but this is avoided when the 

 handle-baskets with lids are used. 

 For individual bunches, to be sent 

 by parcel-post or by rail, small 

 wood boxes are the most suitable; 

 but the Grapes must be very 

 closely packed to avoid injury, 

 and it is difficult to send these in 

 a way that will render them very 

 presentable when removed from 

 the boxes, owing to their being 

 rubbed. Most of the late and 

 thick-skinned varieties are the best 

 for all kinds of packing. 



Peaches, Nectarines, and Apricots. 

 — Perhaps of all fruits these are 

 the most difficult to pack with suc- 

 cess, but the majority of failures 

 are traceable to using too ripe or 

 unsound fruits, and to the neglect 

 of little details. That Peaches can travel 

 long distances with safety has been proved 

 by the Calif ornian growers, who send enor- 

 mous quantities by rail to the Eastern States. 

 It has been recorded that the daily receipt 

 in Chicago of Calif ornian Peaches has ex- 



Fig. 1141.— Grapes in shallow handle-basket. Packed with paper. 



ceeded 6000 boxes during the season, amongst 

 which the percentage of damaged fruits was 

 very small, although they had travelled 1000 

 miles or more. From South Africa also Peaches 

 have been consigned to the London markets 

 with a measure of success that is surprising 

 under the circumstances, though it still leaves 

 room for improvement. 



To secure the best results the fruits must be 

 gathered before they are dead-ripe, and some 



