84 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



on the ground. For hard unripe fruits, and rough 

 heavy vegetables it is to some extent suitable, but for 

 anything that is ripe or tender it possesses all the 

 objections of the round baskets, with some others 

 specially appertaining to itself. The full size pot, which 

 is that chiefly employed, holds 72 lbs. of plums, and 

 when these are approaching ripeness the pressure 

 upon the lower layers is enough to damage any soft 

 fruit. In one district alone, between Evesham and 

 Pershore, in some seasons hundreds of tons are despatched 

 by train in this manner. But the pot is used for all 

 kinds of garden produce besides plums, and though it is 

 well fitted for crops like Peas, Beans, early Potatoes, 

 Brussels Sprouts, and herbs, it is also employed for 

 Cauliflowers or Cabbages, together with flowers such as 

 Wallflowers, Pinks, and Daffodils. With regard to the 

 flowers the weight is out of proportion to the value of 

 the contents, and thus expenses are increased unneces- 

 sarily ; while for Cabbages the space is too small, and the 

 result is they are crowded in so tightly that they are 

 much broken and damaged. A smaller size termed a half- 

 pot is free from some of the bad features of the large 

 one, but it is seldom used to the same extent. Both 

 are, of course, without lids, and the contents must either 

 be covered as with the round baskets, or left open to 

 the weather and the dust. Locally, these baskets have 

 been in use so long and so generally, that it would be 

 difficult to introduce any other form, and objections 

 raised against them are regarded as due to strangers' 

 prejudice, though a few of the leading growers are 

 substituting smaller baskets for choice fruits. 



Increasing favour is being extended to flat square 

 baskets furnished with lids, which can be had in various 

 sizes from most of the larger makers. They are adapted 

 for all garden produce except flowers ; they are more 

 readily packed than the round baskets, and can be stacked 



