156 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



In dealing with Peaches great skill and judgment are required to 

 enable the grower to pick his fruit at the proper stage of ripeness to allow 

 it to be carried to distant markets. It should be picked when well coloured 

 but still firm along the suture, graded in the packing-house, and then 

 packed in small "veneer " trays, eight of which are placed in an oblong 

 crate. These crates only weigh about forty pounds when full and so can 

 be easily handled. The crates are immediately packed in refrigerated cars, 

 and sent to market in " refrigerated fruit trains." With proper icing 

 good Peaches will stand five or six days' journey by rail and keep good for 

 several days in the fruit stalls after arriving at their destination. 



In the disposal of his fruit the grower has his share of grievances. 

 The buyers are better organised. They may have combinations which 

 tend to depress the selling price ; the grower is largely at the mercy of 



Fancy Pears packed for the British Market. 



the commission man, whether he sells in this country or abroad. How- 

 ever, in case of suspected fraud in this country, he can reach his man 

 more easily than if the purchaser is in foreign lands. Some of the most 

 successful examples of selling are those where the co-operative spirit has 

 shown itself. Where the co-operative or the pooling method of selling 

 prevails, the essential of success is that the fruit from the various growers 

 shall be brought to a central packing-house and there graded under the 

 eye of one man, so that the entire output shall be uniform. Co-operative 

 selling conducted after this fashion, accompanied by good business methods, 

 has brought both credit and profit to the promoters. 



The farmers are organising their forces more and more each year. 

 Business methods are being introduced, and the outlook for the future is 

 altogether more promising than it has been hitherto. 



The photographs illustrating this paper were taken by Professor Craig 



