The handling should be in shallow crates. These should have strong cleats across the ends so that one may be placed above the other without touching the fruit, and if of considerable length, should have a partition. The cleats permit space for ventilation in case they must be stacked for a few hours or more. The depth should be such as not to permit more than three or four layers of fruit. The deep box and the conical basket are not well suited as carriers and should not be used unless delivery can be made by wagon direct from the field and within a few hours after gathering. It is the rule to see cars and barges loaded with baskets arrive at the factory with more or less of the fruit in bad condition. When one basket is set on the edges of two or three others in stacking, there is always cutting of a few of the top fruit, the movement in riding causes others to gradually settle and pack into the cone shape of the bottom, so that if they be held for a day or more, there will be loss of juice, consequent growth of mold, and contamination of the sound fruit from the infected. The actual loss from this form of handling has not been determined, but is undoubtedly much larger than is generally supposed. It is the belief of the writer that the loss is not far from 10 per cent. It is certainly much greater than the difference in the cost of freight and handling of the box over the basket. All baskets and boxes become more or less infected with mold during the season and this spreads to the fruit, the contamination increasing the longer the fruit is held, the tighter it becomes wedged together, or the greater the cracking. The shallow crate affords the better protection. When tomatoes arrive at the factory, they should be purchased by weight for =sound= fruit. Buying by the box or basket is antiquated and not satisfactory to either buyer or seller. Under the recent Federal net weight law, purchase by basket or crate must show on each container the exact weight or measure if there be interstate shipment, and the same is true for some of the states. It should not be necessary to give more than a general inspection at the factory. A contract for ripe fruit at ten dollars per ton, which, when delivered, requires sorting, and the holding of unripe and the discarding of defective fruit, is equivalent to ten dollars, plus all the additional cost in labor and the loss in making it fit for use.