298 JOURNAL OP THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
expenses, is deducted, it will be usually more advantageous to 
pay the salesmen's commission. 
Grading and Packing Fruit. 
British growers are beginning to recognise the importance of 
paying more attention to selecting fruit , and packing it to better 
advantage than has been customary in the past. 
The prices realised for well- sorted fruit are from 20 to 50 
per cent, in advance of those for fruit of all sizes mixed, and this 
even when the lowest quality has been entirely rejected. For 
exceptionally fine dessert fruit the proportion is still higher. 
Many fruits can be sorted into two grades, and some into three, 
with a beneficial result, notwithstanding the extra labour in- 
volved. 
Packing and packages are of equal importance, for the best 
fruit is often rendered unsaleable if damaged in transit, or its 
value is greatly reduced. In a general way British growers 
employ baskets (of various sizes) for all fruits, but though these 
are preferable for soft fruits, yet for Apples and Pears boxes 
might with advantage be much more generally used. A few 
have tried them with satisfaction, and that a demand is spring- 
ing up for them is shown by the fact that several large firms 
now produce suitable boxes at a very cheap rate. From France, 
Italy, Holland, Belgium, the Channel Islands, Canary Islands, 
&c., nearly all the consignments of fruit come in light strong 
boxes of convenient size, with scarcely any packing beyond 
paper shavings or a sheet or two of thin coloured paper. 
American Apples come in barrels without any packing material 
whatsoever, and the secret is the strict exclusion of damaged or 
over-ripe fruit, and very firm but careful packing. 
The neglect of grading is commonly attended by an equal 
want of care in packing; bruised and bad fruit are shot into 
bushels, sieves, or baskets of various kinds, and by the time they 
reach tlie retailer or the salesman the fruit has materially 
deteriorated in value. Careless packing lowers the average 
returns to growers by fully 10 per cent. Boxes for Apples and 
Pears can be had to hold tlie regulation bushel or lialf-bushcl, or 
smaller sizes are made to hold an average weight of any desired 
amount ; but when employing boxes or cases to which market 
men aj c unaccustooaed, the actual net weight or the number of 
