Cañon City record., 1907-11-07

our other fruits in shipping qualities,
and requires careful handling. The
probable reason for this IL the low
per cent of sugar which our grapes
develop during the short season. This
is especially true of the varieties of
the class locally known as California
grapes" However, with proper care
in growing, picking and packing, the
grapes are very profitable crop in
Colorado.
The general tendency Is to pick the
grape before it is ripe enough to ship.
This is not strange. for we have
learned that most of our fruits do
ship better before fully ripe, and we
have not yet fully realized that the
grape is an exception to the rule. The
grape improves little, If any. in favor
after picking and ships best when
fully ripe. The fruit should be allowed
to hang on the vine as long as possible
or until it is fully ripe. If the variety
does not ripen properly within the
season it should be discarded for one
that ripens earlier. The ripening per-
lod may be advanced several days by
Withholding water during the latter
part of the season. The grape is best
picked during the heat of the day, as
the stems are least brittle and fewer
berries are split or torn loose from
the bunch. Picking after q rain and
before the punches have dried out Is
not advisable, as this fruit nearly al
ways molds badly. The fruit should
be handled in shallow boxes, or trays.
and removed to the packing house for
further willing" before packing. The
middle fthe day, and pack this fruit
out the following forenoon. Whether
or not this will be long enough
wilt" will depend upon the ripeness
of the fruit and its condition at pack
ing time.
The punches should be gone over
before packing and all broken and
immature or poorly developed berries
cut out For this work slender
pointed grape shears is convenient
The American grapes are prefer
ably packed in eight pound Climax
baskets, the baskets to be we'll filled
and faced up to hide all STEMS. The
Vinifera grapes. locally known as
CdllAOI uio 6idPCS, oic poShcu IL q
four basket carrier. This crate is four
and one-half inches in depth and car
ries four baskets, measuring eight
inches each way across the top. Pack
ers should not attempt to put up this
pack without the tin form used for
this work. This is a tin contrivance
shaped like an inverted basket. 1t
allows the packer to pack what is to
be the top OF the basket first and in
sures a perfect face to pack. When
this form is filled, the basket is in
verted and slipped onto 1t. The whole
withdrawn. leaving the grapes in the
basket. The baskets should be we'll
filled, and when the four baskets are
in the carrier 1t should have the ap-
pearance of a packed box, no part Of
the baskets being visible. The grape
should stand high enough to give the
cover of the crate slight bulge. If
too high, some of the berries will be
crushed, giving entrance to fmolds.
The gross weight of such a package
should be rs pounds or more.
Too great stress cannot be laid upon
the importance of the proper ripen-
ing of the fruit and the careful cut
ting out OF all broken or imperfect
berries before packing. II the grapes
are worth growing, they are worth
growing and marketing we'll.
o. B. WHIPPLE.
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