Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-14
Packing Fruits.

While we are inclined by q fellow.
feeling which we are told s'makes us
wondrous kind" to defend our brother
farmers from unjust asperslons upon
their probity, yet we can not refrain
pointing out to them their faults and
earnestly enjoining n needed refor-
nation. And a timely homily might be
given to farmers upon the subject OF
acking fruits. This text was brought
to mind very recently upon seeing
some crates OF peaches opened in the
market. They were what is called
sandwiched or plated. All outside
We're AR specimens Of good size as ar
as could be seen, but under these were
runts and eulls of a very "a kind.
Probably this sort OF dishonest packing
is more common among peaches than
with any other fruit, but it Is at times
found to be practiced, with apples and
pears and also with potatoes. 1t is very
mean business. But it is worse than
that; it is excessively foolish. for it
does not profit the packer in the least,
and he has some lanor for his pains in
the trouble of packing his products in
this way, andhe loses money by it. II
is a double loss, in fact. 1t reminds us
of THAT foolish bird, the ostrich, which
is said to hide it's mead in the sand when
pursued, and because it can not see it
believes it is not seen.
Now, the dishonest, foolish, and self
deluded farmer, who is so wanting
self-respect as to make himself known
as q cheat in this way, never deceives
anybody. His vain tricks are
we'll Known TO the purchasers of his
fruit, ETC., and they discount the value
every time. No doubt the commission
agent laughs in his sleeve as he opens
the crates and packages and finds
therein as he expected, and credits the
self-victimi ed ia mers with the exact
value OF the poorest specimens in the
lot, for this mode of packing damns
the good with the bad, and the good
never raises the value of the bad ono
cent. This is the foolishne5s of it. The
dishonesty is undisguised. but the fool
ishness is, in many cases, not per-
ceived by the one who commits it, and
therefore we call attention to the COM
mon practice which IS q blot upon the
general character of farmers, who ALI
suffer alike in public estima. ion.
In packing fruits for market different
grades should be separated. The finest
kinds will sell for double OF treble as
much as q mixed lot. The retailer is
obliged to Gull out the poorest and
select the best, snd it is not in human
nature to work Tor any other man. or
do work which he should have done,
Tor nothing. The apple and pear sea-
son is begun. and the potato season
will soon begin. We should urge
every farmer to sort shipments and pack
them separately, and mark the pack
ages first, second and third, as the case
may be, and put his name on the pack
ages, so that in time, when suspicion.
Justly prevalent and wasch;ul, is dis
armed, his marks may give confidence
and he may acquire a character foI
thorough honesty. Fal>tatf s remark
elbow this world is given to lying" Is
as applicable now as it was tn. ee CEN
turtles ago. But those who practice
this deception in packing fruit only
rob themselves. and are and always
will be poor. while the shippers WHOSE
marks are known whe eve their goodk
may go get extreme prices and the best
trade, and are rich. Thus ''honesty il
the best policy IN packing straw
berries, peaches, apples, potatoes, amt
other farm produce, as we'll as in PEI
cuniarY matters.-M. y. Times. K,