STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 39 



Because the housewife can make nice apple sauce from almost 

 anything in the shape of an apple, is no reason that the canner 

 can use the same grade of fruit with any success. We must 

 bear in mind that the canner is not making apple sauce. He must 

 pack such apples — and only such — as the great markets of Eng- 

 land and America demand. The standard for canned apple, is 

 large fruit cleanly pared and cored ; free from bruised or dark 

 spots ; cut in quarters ; and cooked only enough to keep it from 

 fermenting. The apple must look white, and be firm enough to 

 take out of the can and cut in slices, if desired, or used in quarters, 

 re-cooked for sauce, or served with cream for dessert. 



We must keep in mind that York State, with her grafted fruit, 

 will lead Maine, and we must use our natural fruit so that it will 

 come up as nearly as possible to the New York goods. One 

 great difficulty in canning natural fruit is in getting goOds that 

 are uniform in solidity. In using many kinds and many different 

 degrees of hardiness, it is impossible to process the can so that 

 the apple will cut out uniformly. The packer cannot wholly 

 overcome this. The best that he can do is to insist that all of the 

 apples brought in shall be hard and firm. 



One of the worst things with which the packers have to con- 

 tend when buying natural fruit, is the manner in which they are 

 handled. The apples should, whenever practicable, be handled 

 and hauled in barrels ; if barrels and large boxes are not obtain- 

 able, they should be hauled in bulk in a cart body ; they should 

 never be handled or hauled, no matter how short the distance, 

 in sacks. In almost every instance, it is by handling them in 

 sacks that we get the bruised and battered apples. 



Any of you here, upon opening a can of apple and finding the 

 brown spots, would know that they were caused by slight bruises. 

 It is not so with the city buyers and consumers. They know 

 no difference between these bruised spots and decayed spots. 

 When they find the bruises, no argument will convince them that 

 these discolorations were not caused by decay. It, therefore, 

 stands every packer in hand to be careful, when buying, to see 

 that he gets only such apples as are free from bruises. 



It has been called to my notice many times how careless and 



negligent the farmers are of their roadside and natural fruit. 



Unless the apples are properly handled and cared for, they are 



not suitable for canning purposes. If they are not fit for can- 



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