78 THE BOOK OF MARKET GARDENING 



is so simple that any handy man can do the work on the 

 premises under direction without having to call in the 

 services of a carpenter. 



In all grading, where the fruit is brought into a shed 

 and turned out on tables or trays, it is obvious that the 

 additional handling required for the sorting and packing 

 will subject the fruit to more risk of injury ; therefore 

 the greatest care must be exercised, and the closest 

 supervision given, to ensure that such damage is re- 

 duced to the lowest point. The men or women 

 entrusted with the task must be selected with judg- 

 ment, and suitable encouragement given to those who 

 devote the best thought to their work combined with 

 the needful quickness. Some special fitness is essential, 

 and those who take an interest in it can soon be trained 

 to sort with all the accuracy and care desired. 



As a matter of precaution, the surface of the trays 

 or tables may be covered with a soft material to lessen 

 the danger of bruising, but it should have a smooth 

 surface, not one that is likely to rub the fruits or leave 

 any lint upon them. It must, further, be affixed in such 

 a manner that it can be readily removed, for if fruits are 

 damp, or they have, as with some varieties of apples, a 

 " greasy" skin, the surface is soon clogged, only serving 

 to smudge and spoil other fruits. It should also be of 

 a washable character, so that it can be replaced when 

 cleansed. 



The same principles of sorting apply to flowers as to 

 fruits and vegetables, namely, first, the separation of 

 different grades, and second keeping each grade as uniform 

 in quality as possible. It often happens that it is not 

 necessary to send the different grades to the same 

 market : the man who knows the character of the 

 demand at different centres can regulate matters accord- 

 ingly : what would rank as second-rate in one market 

 may take first place in another. It is the same when 



