The Washington herald., 1908-06-26
OLD FRUIT NOT GOOD
Physicians Advise Care in
Summer Eating.
FARMERS OFTEN TO BLAME
Poor Packing Results in Low Prices
10 Producer as Wei as Unsatisfac-
tory Goods to Buyer-CommissiOn
Men and Grocers Can Always Sell
NentIy Graded Products.

Vegetables and fruits at this time OF
the year form not only an important
but almost Indispensable item on the bin
OF fare in hotels and boarding houses and
IN the home
Physicians advise all 20 eat less meat
during the hot season and pay more at
tention to a fruit and vegetable diet.
which they claim should be cooked in
order to be still more conducive To the
health. Physicians lay the greatest stress
on the fact that the fruit or vegetable
served on the breakfast or dinner table
be fresh and in no way over-ripe. stale.
or decayed. as over-ripe or stale fruit
is more injurious than unripe fruit
There have been numerous complaints
recently that vegetables and fruits offer
ed for sale at the local markets and
from huckster wagons. or by the COM
mission merchant. are not at all in that
wholesome condition which sanitary rules
and hygiene prescribe
Berries Two Days Old.
The berries which are offered to the
housekeeper at the markets are a couple
of days old and mashed, and have been
exposed TO the flies and dust and hand
ling OF the seller and buyer 4 sound
berry, no matter what species should be
firm, well formed. and dry 70 the touch.
and in order 10 protect his customers
against the dangerous flies and the dirt
and dust which infest the markets and
streets the merchant should cover them.
But the whole fault does not lie with
or the grocer. who earn their living by
the sale Of these and other goods. often
tue poor condition OF the fruits and veg
etables is the fault Of the farmer. Speak
| ing OF this matter. "a farmer who owns
and runs an extensive fruit farm near
| the District line and ships all its products
20 Center Market said yesterday:
we all know that there are unprin-
Cipled men in the business OF selling the
produce OF our fruit farms. They cheat
us shamefully sometimes: but there are
times when We do not do our duty by
them nor by ourselves. There are many
honest dealers and we should not blame
them when the stun We send them is
bad
Think Anything VIII Sell.
we sometimes think anything will sell
In the markets. We ship of what we
may happen to have. regardless OF quail
/ ity. It's quantity were after sometimes.
/ We do not consider the fact that the
transportation charges are the same on
poor as on good fruit, or whatever It
may be we ship. This freight must be
/ paid by the dealer out OF the proceeds of
/ the sale. and with the charges often ex-
/ travagant. there is sometimes not enough
/ from the gross sales 10 pay the bill.
/ Another mistake we make is that we
do not grade closely enough. Sometimes
we don't grade at ALL but send good. bad
and Indifferent all together. One basket
Of very choice peaches selected out OF
enough 20 hll three or four will often
bring more net return than all OF them
would have brought. Never make more
than two grades. and let these be good
The rest should be fed 10 the stock on
the farm or thrown away.
should he Put Up Neatly.
Il Fruit should be put up neatly. It will
not do 10 think that any old package
filed in any old way will do II may do
but it will prove very poor Job for the
grower and ali concerned. II is often the
finishing touches TO a package Of fruit
that makes it sell at high price. II
win never do 20 put better stuff on tor
than there is clear 20 the bottom Clear
packages. clean fruit. and a neat label OF
stencil on the outside, always sell if Of.
fered by an honest. cheerful. and cleanIy
looking fellow. Farmers should show thai
they are really proud Of their product
Their brand soon will be well known. M
matter where they live or what thelr
names may be-