Grading of Fruit and Vegetables. 



i55 



baskets with lids are preferable but expensive, and the difficulty 

 with all these is that they must be charged for or returned. In 

 extensive dealings with market salesmen baskets are supplied 

 at very little cost to the producer, but where it is desired to 

 promote more direct communication between the grower and 

 retailer or consumer some other method is preferable, or the 

 producer must provide his own baskets. It would be helpful in 

 many districts if a local industry could be developed in cheap 

 basket making ; there are few places where the suitable willows 

 could not be grown, and the basket making might be performed 

 in the winter evenings. For useful information regarding 

 willows and osiers suitable for the purpose named, see 

 Leaflet No. 36 issued by the Board of Agriculture. 



Much could be said in favour of boxes for fruits, and, where 

 only small sizes are employed, they may be purchased or made 

 so cheaply that they can be included in the price of the fruit, 

 and thus all the trouble of returning or collecting empties is 

 avoided. Their more general use under the right conditions 

 would assist producers in two ways : first, by aiding them to 

 avoid overstocking the markets in seasons of heavy crops, and, 

 secondly, by facilitating direct communication with the con- 

 sumers, thus securing a better price for their goods. In a small 

 way, boxes can be made at home at a cost of i^d. to is. each ; 

 on a larger scale, with the use of machinery, they may be turned 

 out at about 8s. to 50s. per ioo, according to the size, and boxes 

 costing id. to 6d. can always be given with the best grades of 

 fruit, usually even with profit. Many of the leading railway 

 companies have recognised this fact, and now supply boxes of 

 various sizes at is. 6d. to 5s. per dozen, while several manu- 

 facturers also supply to large orders at very reasonable prices. 



The sizes kept in stock by the principal railway companies 

 (such as the London and North-Western) and furnished to the 

 order of producers on their systems, are the following (inside 



measurements) 















Average price 





Length. 





Width. 





Depth. 



lid. 



No. 1 = 



iof inches 



X 



7| inches 



X 



3 inches. 



2d. 



,, 2 = 



13 » 



X 



9 » 



X 



4f » 





» 3 = 



iSi » 



X 



1 of „ 



X 



5 » 



lb- . 3d. . 



>> 4 = 



16* „ 



X 



u| „ 



X 



5i » 



4d. 



» 5 = 



i8| „ 



X 



13 „ 



X 



6 „ 



5 d. 



„ 6 = 



2I| „ 



X 



14 



X 



7 „ 



