PACKAGES FOR VEGETABLES 



85 



found each year that the acreage of his neighbors was in- 

 creasing, as well as his own. During the season in question, 

 he found himself with seventeen acres of tomatoes to dis- 

 pose of among a population of not over sixty thousand. More- 

 over, the season was a splendid one and the crop throughout 

 the region was very large. The price for ordinary tomatoes 

 went down to fifteen cents per half bushel basket. Poor 

 stock could not be sold at all, and many growers whose 

 methods were not economical left their fruit in the field. 

 The grower in question used a gang of tw^elve to sixteen year 

 old boys for picking and packing, paying them on a piece 

 work basis. A leaking or spotted tomato was discarded en- 

 tirely, and in case of question a fruit was placed among the 

 seconds. Each fruit was wiped, and if necessary washed, 

 and was laid in its place in the basket, packing from the bot- 

 tom up. The result was a finish similar to that of boxed 

 apples. As a result, the grower experienced no difficulty in 

 selling all of his crop, and he sold none at less than sixteen 

 and two-thirds cents a basket. This amount was sufficient to 

 pay the entire cost of handling from the field to the market 

 wagon, in spite of the extra labor. Thus, the acreage return 

 at the end of the season was most gratifying. 



Mr. Haw: Did you always use a rag to wipe tomatoes? 

 Why not use a pair of canvas gloves? 



Mr. Work: Good. We used to wash out our rags. 



Mr. Haw: Do the same with gloves. 



Mr. Work: Does it pay you to wipe tomatoes, Mr. Haw? 



Mr. Haw: Yes, sir, for special- trade right through the 

 season. Our tomatoes are on sandy soil and are fairly clean. 



Mr. Work : Two things turn away buyers — short mea- 

 sure and dishonest packing. The world, especially the world 

 of buyers, is too wise to be long deceived by concealed culls. 

 It does not pay.. 



Labeling. 



The wrapping and labeling that is so conspicuous with all 

 commodities except farm produce is gradually being adapted 

 to vegetable marketing. One loses much of the advantage of 



