FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
183 
customary to use that many hundreds of 
pounds. This is not becoming necessary 
on account of any impoverished condition 
of the soil, but growers find that it is a 
paying investment, one that pays very 
large dividends. 
There also seems to be a tendency to 
specialization at certain points. I will 
cite Sanford for celery, Hastings for po¬ 
tatoes, etc. There are many advantages 
derived from this, and where it is possi¬ 
ble for him to do so the grower will do 
well to take advantage of them. I will 
not undertake to enumerate all the ad¬ 
vantages that may be derived from so 
doing, but will mention a few that occur 
to me at this particular moment. First 
we are sure of our land and the crops 
it will produce; we get the benefit of car 
lot rates, direct line transportation, cash 
buyers, and lastly but not least we se¬ 
cure the benefit of all prestige and reputa¬ 
tion this particular point has in the 
markets of our country. That this is 
a very valuable asset, is best illustrated 
in this way. It not only amounts to 
quick sales, but very often in an advance 
or higher price of at least 25c. on the 
crate over the same quality of unknown 
goods. All these things are a handicap 
to the grower who does not avail himself 
of these advantages, and quite frequently 
it amounts to all his profits. 
I do not mean to say that a grower 
or growers cannot build up a reputation 
for any particular point, or any particular 
product, but I do say, my friends, that it 
is uphill work, and a long pull; and if 
we can arrange to take advantage of a 
reputation already established it will more 
than pay to do so. 
METHODS OF PACKING. 
Growing a crop is scarcely half the 
battle. The successful grower provides 
a packing house of ample size, wherein 
to handle his crops with rapidity, he has 
also provided all the facilities that are 
essential for the handling of his crops. 
He will provide the best of crates. He 
has also furnished himself with stencils 
for each and every mark that goes on 
a crate, and under no circumstances al¬ 
lows a pencil to be used for any mark. 
He has also provided each year printed 
wraps if his crops are such as can be 
wrapped, each wrap being printed with 
a fac-simile of the brand that is used on 
each crate. He will gather his crops at 
the proper time, see that they are very 
carefully handled to avoid all damage 
from bruising, etc. See that his crates 
are all neatly and securely nailed, and 
made in the best possible manner, the bet¬ 
ter to withstand transportation, and that 
they may present a better appearance on 
the market. He will see that his produce 
is all properly cleaned, and washed if 
needed, that it is properly graded to a 
high standard, that it is carefully sized, 
and well packed. All crates being uni¬ 
form, only one grade and size in each 
crate, and that grade and size plainly 
and neatly stenciled on one end of each 
crate. 
He also sees that each crate bears his 
own particular brand either stenciled or 
printed on one end, and that all stencil¬ 
ing is done in a neat and systematic man¬ 
ner, and presents a good appearance. 
And when delivery is made to the trans¬ 
portation company each crate is in a con¬ 
dition that barring accidents or delays it 
will arrive on the market in prime con¬ 
dition. 
There is a tendency among the best 
growers, especially individual shippers to 
select one good firm in one or two cities 
