VEGETABLE GARDENING 
166 
will nest snugly. Every possible effort should be made 
to prevent bruising the vegetables. 
224. Facilities for packing. — Vegetables are sometimes 
packed in the field where grown, when they do not need 
to be washed or handled very much before packing. 
There are serious objections, however, to field packing 
which as a rule does not admit of thorough grading. 
There is also greater danger of the vegetables going to 
market without being properly cleaned. It is also diffi- 
cult to load for market in the fiekl, especially if the 
ground is soft or the land hilly. The field lacks the 
proper facilities for packing. For this reason all market 
gardeners and many truckers have packing sheds or 
houses. 
The building used for packing may be temporary or 
permanent. It is often convenient to have a cheaply con- 
structed shed in or near the field, although there are 
many arguments in favor of a permanent house which 
may constitute the center of activities and be the head- 
quarters during the market season. Various crops may 
■be brought from different fields to the packing house, so 
that the foreman may have opportunity to inspect every 
package before it is loaded for market. Every facility and 
convenience should be provided for the speedy handling 
of each crop. 
The packing house should be centrally located, near 
the other farm buildings if possible, and should be sub- 
stantial, convenient, comfortable, well lighted and prop- 
erly ventilated. Comparatively few packing houses meet 
these conditions; they are usually dark, dingy rooms 
lacking many facilities and conveniences of arrangement. 
The main floor of the packing house should be made 
of concrete, sloping gently to drains. Water may then 
be used freely in washing vegetables or wagons. If the 
house is to be used in cold weather, the doors should 
fit snugly and provision be made for heating. 
