The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-04-24
PACKING AND MARKETING
PEACHES.

AS it soon will be time for shippin
peaches, we give the following, fro
a paper cad by Hon. w. J. Lee, b
fore the Kentucky horticultural S
ciety:
Picking-One may have followe
all the directions previously givel
and may have grown very fin
peaches, and yet lose money by pick
ing at an improper stage of ripenesI
and bad packing. If a man has an,
taste about him, he has a good Ghanc
to show it in picking and packin
peaches. Picking and packing peache
is business to be learned, and a MAJ
has to serve trade at it before h
can be an expert in it. All specimen
on Il tree do not ripen at the sam
time, and it frequently happens tina
you have to,make as many as ten pick
ings from the same tree, but usual,
five or six will answer. In handling
a crop Of 5000 boxes of peaches, every
peach should be picked as near thu
same stage of ripeness as possible
| this stage may be known by the greer
olNAS w w lllCO Ill w hltN
peaches, and opale red in red peaches
A peach receives its color and flavor
about forty-eight hours before it soft
ems, and should be picked as soon as
it reaches this stage. Peaches should
be handled very carefully in picking.
Packing-The directions [ shall
here give are for packing in boxes.
Peaches should be packed in new
boxes, made neat and strong. Each
shipper should have a numbered STEM
ell, by which his fruit may be known
in the market, and for convenience
Of separating lots in the commission
house. Every box should be stem
ciled before it is filled, as you are less
liable to overlook one. Should it get
through, the commission merchant
would not know to whom it belonged.
| consider packing the most particu-
lar thing in peach culture. To do
good packing it is necessary to have
proper fixtures.
l will here describe the apparatus
and nOClus OpcrdHdi of packing that
have adopted, which [ think is the
best | have seen. Make large shall
low box about forty-four inches long,
and thirty-fOur inches wide and eight
inches deep, with four legs ten inches
long, making eighteen inches from
top of box to the ground. Nail Oh
two handles to the bottom of the box,
about ten inches at each
end; these are for transferring the
box to different portions of the orch
ard. Place a piece of carpet in the
= =, hnx RI 1Nrnyrnlof tho
peaches from being bruised. Place
this box at a central point in some
variety which you wish to pick, and
it is now ready to receive peaches
from the baskets of the pickers.
You lack one important thing yet
a suitable and convenient bench, up
on which the packer sits to place the
peaches in the fruit box. This is made
by taking a board thirty-four inches
long and seven inches wide, on which
you place four legs and raised seat.
The legs should be nine inches long.
The seat should be one foot square,
and placed on the rear end of the
and raised four inches above
-he bench, leaving twenty-five inches
Of the bench in front of the seat.
vi dhe ii SIlldll uIuNCI lIIlIlNl lllI oCtll
or nails. You now have complete
md convenient bench for packing
peaches.
In placing the peaches in the box,
great care should be taken to fill all
he space in the box, keeping the
peaches we'll out Of the sides and di-
vision of the box, and be sure to get
very peach in the box that it is pos
,ible to get in. A well packed one
bird bushel box of peaches should
Weigh from twenty-three to twenty
our pounds, while poorly-packed
,oXes range as low as seventeen
pounds, making a difference of eight !
pounds Of peaches-quite an item to
he retail dealer and consumer. Boxes
hould be filled little above the top, |
% that when you place the top on it
will press firmly on the peaches and
Keep them in their places.
Marlleting-If you are not near
nOugh to market to accompany each |
select a reliable commission |
merchant, one who can and will sell
our peaches for good price and
lakc prompt returns. Notify the
commission merchant every day how
lany you ship him, and how many
on vii probably ship next day, and
mat variety, and what class of peach,
require your commission merchant
. quot prices daily, state the cOndi-
ion Of your peaches when they reach
ne market, and the condition of the
larket, etc.
Hoping that these aimed-to-be prac-
cal directions and suggestions may
icit the proper discussion that the
Inject merits, and asking leniency
| your criticism, leave the subject
18th you.