GRADING, PACKING, AND MARKETING FRUIT. 



181 



be put together by the hundred by any unskilled labourer, from 

 wood cut into sizes by steam mills, and wood is cheaper every 

 year, and willows dearer. 



Secondly, they could brand each box with their own name or 

 mark, and also with the name of the fruit, the particular variety, 

 and the size, and so give customers an opportunity of seeing 

 whose goods they were buying. This, I find, always affects sales 

 favourably, as retailers know better than salesmen how each 

 grower packs his goods. 



Thirdly, they could obtain a cheaper rate of transit, and 

 also a cheaper commission, salesmen having no outlay to make 

 on baskets, and this outlay is becoming a greater expense every 

 year, and increases in greater proportion than the mere increase 

 of fruit, as after London is supplied all the remainder must go 

 away, and baskets are often months before they are returned ; 

 consequently it is frequently the case that a bushel or half- 

 bushel is only used once during the season, and then, perhaps, 

 warehoused for years. 



Fourthly, to cash buyers cases are a great inducement, as 

 they can lay out all their money in fruit, and not, as at present, 

 have to leave from 25 to 50 per cent, deposit on the baskets, with 

 the trouble and expense of returning them. This is a great tax 

 on buyers at a distance. If you consider that we have, say, 1,000 

 cash buyers, with an average of £10 each, which they intend to 

 spend, at present they can only buy £6,000 to £7,000 worth 

 of fruit, the remainder being left on the baskets ; and so we lose 

 the sale of £3,000 to £4,000 worth of fruit, besides crippling an 

 industrious class, by compelling them to work part of their 

 capital at a loss, while every shilling is a great object to them. 



Fifthly, without this inconvenience trade would develop far 

 more rapidly amongst the grocers, who already are a very great 

 help in distributing fruit, but who will not take up English fruit 

 because of the bother of returning and being responsible for 

 chargeable packages. 



Sixthly, growers would be independent of any particular 

 market or salesman, as they could then send their fruit wherever 

 they thought they could do best with it, which they cannot do 

 now, owing to the difficulty of obtaining baskets. 



Seventhly, Apples and Pears especially would travel much 

 better closely packed in cases, and would open out clearer, and ot 



