METHODS OF PACKING 105 



upwards. The berries should be as nearly equal in 

 merit as possible, but the best formed and brightest 

 fruits may always be used to finish off with. This is 

 only a fair displaying of goods to the best advantage ; 

 it is not to be confounded with the method by which a 

 top layer of good fruit is employed to conceal a larger 

 proportion of inferior quality. Such practices with any 

 fruits or garden produce cannot be too strongly con- 

 demned, not merely in the interest of the pur- 

 chasers, but also in that of growers. Special details 

 have been given with regard to Strawberry packing, 

 because they illustrate the methods best adapted for all 

 soft fruits in small quantities of high quality. Ripe 

 Raspberries, when of good size and rich colour, sell 

 readily in punnets, though it is usually left to the retail 

 fruiterers to sort the fruit for that purpose. There is 

 no reason why growers should not reap a share of the 

 advantage when they are conveniently situated for doing 

 a trade direct with consumers. The white or yellow 

 varieties of Raspberries are well fitted for sale in punnets 

 or small boxes, though the demand is more limited than 

 for the red type. 



Red and White Currants look well in punnets when 

 the berries and bunches are large, the colour bright in 

 the former and clear in the latter. They must be fully 

 ripe, and only long bunches should be used, the small 

 ones and single berries, however fine, being excluded. 

 This also applies to Black Currants, though they are not 

 so much used for dessert purposes. 



The finest ripe Gooseberries of any colour, provided 

 it be bright or clear, are sold retail in punnets, often at 

 prices considerably in advance of those obtained for 

 fruits of the same quality by weight or measure. Small 

 or medium fruits are useless for this purpose, even 

 though they may be highly flavoured. Comparatively 

 few of the general public are familiar with the choice 



