522 



GROWING GRAPES 



If supplying a local trade, nearby stores or stands where 

 the fruit will be sold by the pound, the grapes may well be 

 trimmed and packed ready for market direct from the vines. 

 Pack the clusters closely to prevent slack containers, with 

 stems down and the clusters at an angle in the upper layer to 

 improve the appearance of the pack. 



Set the filled trays under the vines to protect them from the 

 sun. Haul from the vineyard in narrow, short-turning wagons. 



The climax basket is the cus- 

 tomary retail package. It holds 2, 

 4, or 12 quarts, with specifications 

 prescribed by federal statute for 

 interstate shipment. The 2- and 

 4-quart sizes are used most for table 

 stock. Gift crates holding a numbei 

 of baskets are in use in some sec- 

 tions. The baskets should be neatly 

 stamped. Attractive labels on the 

 covers may be desirable for some 

 trades. 



The baskets may be packed di- 

 rect from the vines by experienced 

 workers (Figs. 216, 217, 218, 219). 

 There is an advantage in the one handling. However, payment 

 by the basket for picking should not be made in this case, 

 especially for table stock, as the temptation to fill the baskets 

 loosely and without careful trimming is great. 



Machines now available fasten handles and covers quickly. 

 Yields in commercial sections run from 2 to 4 tons per acre, 

 5 to 6 tons occasionally being reported. On the Pacific Coast, 

 the yield of the Vinifera grape is much greater. 



13. Marketing the Crop. Load baskets tightly in carlot or 

 truck shipments. Failure to do so, taking up all slack space, 

 results in serious losses (Figs. 221, 222) . A car of loose baskets 

 is a juice factory on wheels. Follow the loading diagrams and 

 instructions provided by the railroad company. 



Fig. 215. The tray on the 

 stand, ready for picking. 

 Both tray and stand are 

 carried from vine to vine. 



