Market Gardening in the Vale of Evesham. 103 
such as Glasgow, Newcastle, Bolton, Manchester, Nottingham, 
Sheffield, Birmingham, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, &c. 
Much friendly advice is constantly offered to market 
gardeners around Evesham as elsewhere. Unrestrained 
criticism is often directed at their methods of marketing by 
persons whose only knowledge of fruit crops consist of count- 
ing their gooseberries by the gallon, plums by the peck, apples 
and pears by the dozen. Many of the men of Evesham have to 
handle their fruit literally by the hundreds of tons ; and with 
regard to plums “ pretty packing ” is out of the question in all 
but very exceptional cases. With regard to plums the finest 
samples are packed in half sieves (12 lb.) or sieves (24 lb.), 
and in these they travel very safely. The next grade are placed 
in half pot hampers (36 lb.), and the common quality into pot 
_ hampers (72 lb.). The same applies to gooseberries — the 
earliest pickings (green) in half sieves and sieves, the later fruit 
in half pots and pots. 
Apples, being less perishable than plums, are graded with 
much care, the finest being wrapped in tissue paper and packed 
in small boxes ; the second grade are carefully packed in sieves, 
and the third grade in half pots and pots. Pears are similarly 
treated. 
Strawberries — the earliest and finest — are packed in punnets 
(round or square), which in turn are carefully placed in cases 
made to contain three dozen or six dozen punnets, and are sent 
straight to the retail dealer, who is thus able to deliver to his 
customers strawberries almost as fresh as they were when 
gathered. The later fruit is sent to market in shallow trays 
in “nests,” and these also arrive at the dealers in good con- 
dition. 
Asparagus is tied and sold in bundles of 120 “heads,” each 
bundle of 120 consisting of four smaller bundles, the whole 
being bound together into a long flat bundle by means of thin 
withes or osiers. These bundles in turn are placed in pot 
hampers ( and usually arrive safely at their destination ), then- 
only packing being a bit of soft straw. 
Marrows, peas, beans, radishes, cabbage, onions, and cucum- 
bers are all sold by the pot hamper, the radishes and onions 
being first tied in bunches — the long radishes in “ hands.” 
The most choice and earliest fruit and vegetables — including 
salads — can be bought only by the few hundreds or thousands 
of wealthy people. The largest quantities of these articles are 
comparatively very small. They can, and should, be packed in 
receptacles in which they may show to advantage when opened. 
The buyer sees them as they are opened and is willing to pay 
for appearance as well as for quality ; therefore the grower 
who would obtain the best prices for the produce of his garden 
