Our common commercial container, the Delaware basket, is seldom a
packed package. The peaches are turned in, assorted somewhat as to
size, and the top layer faced with the red cheek up. The climax basket
requires more care in packing. The fruit must be arranged in layers
and tiers according to the size of peach and basket. Skill and not
a little ingenuity are displayed in packing the dainty till-baskets
for the Georgia carrier, all depending on the size, uniformity and
shape of the peach. The peaches are placed in rows and tiers which
regularly alternate and cover much as in a box of packed apples. The
peach-harvest in New York usually comes in pleasant weather so that the
packing house is generally but a screen from the blaze of the sun, put
up in the orchard. The packages, both before and after filling, are, of
course, kept clean and dry under permanent cover.
The peach is so handsome and delectable, for that matter so pleasing
to all of the senses, that every fruit-grower takes special pride in a
finely-finished product going to market and more often than with any
other fruit advertises his wares with a label. These show original
ownership, where grown, often the variety, always the grade and
usually advertise the whole farm and its product. Some growers have
their labels registered in the United States Patent Office.
New York peach-growers profit more and more from cold-storage. Peaches
can be kept for a few weeks in storage at the freezing point or just
above but they soon lose texture and flavor on coming out and cannot
compete with fresh peaches which reach the markets every day from
some source from May until November. Precooling before shipment, now
but coming into practice, is of inestimable value in the heat of the
summer. The fruit is quickly packed and then cooled to 40° F. in a
central station or by forcing cold air through loaded cars, and then
goes under refrigeration to destination. In eastern New York peaches
go mostly to New York City by night-boat but refrigerator service is
an absolute necessity for western New York and has been very generally
installed by the railroads of the region. The precooling station is to
be the next step in advance.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE NEW YORK PEACH-CROP
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account