GATHERING AND PROFITABLE UTILISATION OF APPLES AND PEARS. 209 



most important subject of packing. Never mix the sorts in one 

 package. Try and send a fair quantity of each sort or grade to 

 market at the same time. Mark the best grades with your 

 particular mark or brand. Whatever your package pack fairly, 

 but as attractively as possible. Do not be induced to put the 

 best fruit on the top of the package with inferior beneath, but 

 have the same class of fruit throughout the packages. I believe 

 the old system of what used to be called " topping up " is not 

 quite as prevalent as it was some years ago ; but as showing how 

 deeply rooted it was and the little amount of confidence dealers 

 had in English packing, I will repeat the following amusing 

 conversation I had with a fruit dealer a few years ago. (I have 

 told it before, but think it will bear repeating.) Some few years 

 ago, when attending Worcester Hop Fair, I happened to notice 

 what appeared to be a very fine hamper of fruit outside a fruit 

 dealer's warehouse. I inquired of him if they were the same 

 throughout. He said he hardly expected so, they never were. 

 I then mentioned that I sold all my fruit packed the same from 

 top to bottom of package. His answer was, " Excuse me, but I 

 never take the word of a packer. A grower who does not top up 

 his fruit deserves to be canonised." While we have gone on 

 with this system of unfair packing and inferior grading what 

 have the Americans, Canadians, and Australians done ? They 

 have captured our markets. The reason of the great success of 

 American, Canadian, and Australian fruit is that dealers know 

 any particular mark or brand can be depended on, and they can 

 sell one, ten, fifty, or one hundred barrels or cases by one sample 

 barrel or case, and buyers can buy as many as they like and come 

 again next day and buy more exactly the same. As showing how 

 much importance is attached to the grading of apples in America 

 for shipping to our country, I may mention that they have 

 formed a "National Apple-shippers' Association," which lays 

 down rules for grading and shipping apples ; and I noticed from 

 last month's issue of a paper devoted to the trade that the 

 association at their last meeting amended the rule concerning 

 the requirements for a No. 1 apple, and, after stating a definite 

 size for each grade and the varieties to be included in each grade, 

 it lays down the rule that " No. 1 apples shall be at the time of 

 packing practically free from the action of worms, or defacement 

 of surface, or breaking of skin ; shall be hand-picked from the 



