84 



PACKAGES FOR VEGETABLES 



your suspicion is aroused. Suppose a car of lettuce is loaded 

 chiefly with number ones. Suppose a few packages that are 

 off color are slipped in. The -dealer opens the car and finds 

 one or two of these. He concludes that there are many poor 

 ones all through. But suppose you place the poor ones in 

 the back of the car. That may not hurt you seriously on the 

 present sale, but look out for that fellow on the next! Thus 

 a small proportion of inferior stock cuts the price of the 

 superior. The moral is ''Grade Carefully.'' It is true that 

 seconds are hard to dispose of nowadays, but the proportion 

 of the lower grades can be very materially reduced by care- 

 ful choice of seed and by close attention to cultural methods. 

 With good success in this endeavor, we do not mind leaving 

 a few culls in the field. It is better for them to go back to 

 the soil without the cost of handling than to undermine the 

 market. 



The detailed plan of grading must be determined in the 

 light of your o\yn conditions. A really good field of Danish 

 Ball Head may be loaded practically as it is. On the other 



hand, an Elmira grower finds it profi.table to make four grades 

 of his cu.cumbers. and careful sorting is becoming more and 

 more generally profitable. 



Packing. 



The first consideration in packing is solidity. Loose pack- 

 ing results in movement, and movement m.eans bruising. We 

 recognize this necessity when we use the screw press in bar- 

 reling apples. 



Pack for a neat finish. The goods attract attention more 

 quickly and sell more readily if presented face up and in 

 orderly ranks. The car lot shippers of cabbage recognize 

 this when they arrange the load in neatly finished tiers. 



Pennsylvania Experience. 



In connection with these ideas, the question of cost and 

 profit invariably arises. Such methods are not practical un- 

 less special skiU in handling is developed on the part of the 

 workers and unless the facilities are com'eniently arranged. 

 That these methods may be practiced to advantage is evi- 

 denced by the experience of a Pennsylvania grower, who 



