“ First, they don’t know what are the best sorts (of fruit,
vegetables, poultry, etc.) to grow for the best prices.
“ Secondly, they don’t understand the proper packing and
display of their goods.^
“ They will, for instance, send a basket of apples of all
sizes and several kinds mixed together ; whereas the ‘ pro-
^ In the September number of the Woman! s Agricultural Times, an
interesting short article quotes from the Journal of Greengrocery,
describing an Association in Germany for instructing fruit-growers in
best ways of picking and packing fruit, and especially how to grade or
display their produce for sale. This article has appeared since the
above was written, and confirms these suggestions in many particulars.
April PACKING AND SALE OP FRUIT, etc.
fessional will sort his apples for packing, not only accord-
ing to kind, but according to size too, when they look
much better, and people can appreciate what they are
buying. Then no non-professional would believe the value
in effect of wrapping each apple or orange in a bright-
coloured tissue-paper. This particularly tells in the case
of apples, of which many of the best tasting sorts are the
least showy— and it also gives an effect of their being
worth taking care of, which adds to their look of precious-
ness, and attracts the eye.
No doubt the most effectual way of imparting know-
ledge of the salable qualities of different species and the
proper method of packing and sale would be best given
by itinerant Government lecturers, who could themselves
personally visit the farms and gardens and advise as to
pruning old sorts of trees and planting the best new, and
all such details. Worn-out and valueless sorts of trees no
doubt take as much room as the best kinds, and what they
produce is not half the value.
“ Two other points I think the non-professional producer
would benefit by realizing are —
“ I. That customers like to be able to depend on an
average uniform excellence ; they like to be sure that they
can rely on always getting an equally good especially
in the case of butter and eggs.
2. It seems to take a great deal of experience to teach
people that the value of THE BEST in anything very greatly
exceeds that of second best, and that therefore it is far more
worth while to try and grow the best than be content with
the second best.
“ Of course all the financial arrangements of. such an
undertaking would have to be very carefully planned j
A CO-OPERATIVE SHOP
April
but there are so many instances — successful instances — of
co-operative dairies, etc., already in existence that it ought
not to be difficult to get other people’s experiences as to
this, though the organizers of each thing of the kind would
have to buy their own experience, and probably the only
safe way would be to start on a very small scale and let it
grow.
“ But think how much material several farms together
could supply for a small shop : fruit, vegetables, eggs,
poultry, game, cheeses, marmalade, jams and preserves,
butter, cream cheeses, honey, flowers, pickles, chutnies,
ostrich feathers, hams, bacon, wine and liqueur, raisins,
dried fruits, tobacco (i*), cakes, milk and cream, mushrooms ;
and why not, like our grandmothers, make pot-pourri or
perfumes I What a delightful shop it would be !
Page 49
Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
“ First, they don’t know what are the best sorts (of fruit, vegetables, poultry, etc.) to grow for the best prices.
“ Secondly, they don’t understand the proper packing and display of their goods.^
“ They will, for instance, send a basket of apples of all sizes and several kinds mixed together ; whereas the ‘ pro-
^ In the September number of the Woman's Agricultural Times, an interesting short article quotes from the Journal of Greengrocery, describing an Association in Germany for instructing fruit-growers in best ways of picking and packing fruit, and especially how to grade or display their produce for sale. This article has appeared since the above was written, and confirms these suggestions in many particulars.
April PACKING AND SALE OP FRUIT, etc.
fessional will sort his apples for packing, not only according to kind, but according to size too, when they look much better, and people can appreciate what they are buying. Then no non-professional would believe the value in effect of wrapping each apple or orange in a brightcoloured tissue-paper. This particularly tells in the case of apples, of which many of the best tasting sorts are the least showy— and it also gives an effect of their being worth taking care of, which adds to their look of preciousness, and attracts the eye.
No doubt the most effectual way of imparting knowledge of the salable qualities of different species and the proper method of packing and sale would be best given by itinerant Government lecturers, who could themselves personally visit the farms and gardens and advise as to pruning old sorts of trees and planting the best new, and all such details. Worn-out and valueless sorts of trees no doubt take as much room as the best kinds, and what they produce is not half the value.
“ Two other points I think the non-professional producer would benefit by realizing are —
“ I. That customers like to be able to depend on an average uniform excellence ; they like to be sure that they can rely on always getting an equally good especially
in the case of butter and eggs.
2. It seems to take a great deal of experience to teach people that the value of THE BEST in anything very greatly exceeds that of second best, and that therefore it is far more worth while to try and grow the best than be content with the second best.
“ Of course all the financial arrangements of. such an undertaking would have to be very carefully planned j
A CO-OPERATIVE SHOP
April
but there are so many instances — successful instances — of co-operative dairies, etc., already in existence that it ought not to be difficult to get other people’s experiences as to this, though the organizers of each thing of the kind would have to buy their own experience, and probably the only safe way would be to start on a very small scale and let it grow.
“ But think how much material several farms together could supply for a small shop : fruit, vegetables, eggs, poultry, game, cheeses, marmalade, jams and preserves, butter, cream cheeses, honey, flowers, pickles, chutnies, ostrich feathers, hams, bacon, wine and liqueur, raisins, dried fruits, tobacco (i*), cakes, milk and cream, mushrooms ; and why not, like our grandmothers, make pot-pourri or perfumes I What a delightful shop it would be !