THE VEGETABLE FORCING BUSINESS 



179 



yields are concerned than the Globe, which is a large, purp- 

 lish tomato. As an early summer greenhouse tomato, it is 

 highly satisfactory. In the field there is a tendency of the 

 Globe not to color well at the stem end, while in the green- 

 house this tendency is not so marked. The large stems are 

 also more objectionable as a field tomato, because late in the 

 season we may not care to take time to remove every stem; 

 but it is a good tomato in the field and particularly good 

 under glass. 



Tomatoes. 



One of the best red tomatoes for the greenhouse is the 

 variety grown by Mr. Chauncey West of Irondequoit, known 

 as the Peerless. It is an English variety which Mr. West 

 has improved by careful selection. 



A little package that is very valuable on the local markets 

 is a basket of the shape of the peach basket, with a little wire 

 bail over the top, holding four quarts of tomatoes. The wood 

 is almost pure white, and with the neat copper bail, and 

 fancy tomatoes inside, consumers can scarcely resist making 

 a purchase. For the selling of tomatoes, plums, and crops 

 of this kind, I do not believe there is a package on the mar- 

 ket that is so attractive as this little basket with the wire 

 bail. 



A package which is being used in some of the western 

 states to some extent is a paper box that will hold about four 

 quarts of tomatoes. 



Parcel Post. 



At State College, we have been making some parcel post 

 shipments. We have tried the strongest and best package 

 that could be obtained for shipping tomatoes. We have 

 made distant and nearby shipments. In long distance ship- 

 ments outside the second zone, nearly always one or more 

 tomatoes in the package will be damaged, but when shipped 

 within the first or second zone, the tomatoes usually carry 

 satisfactorily. So that we believe parcel post can be used 

 to a certain extent successfully for nearby shipments. We 

 also believe the postal authorities will have to make improve- 

 ments in their methods of handling these perishable products. 



