FORTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT. 99 



most pulp that can be produced per tree with the smallest number of 

 pits possible will not only give better fruits for the market, but will 

 prove the most economical for the tree. Care should be taken in thinning 

 to remove all of the inferior or injured specimens, as there is no profit 

 in producing peaches for the pigs. The earlier the thinning is done after 

 it can be determined which are the pennanent fruits, the better will be 

 the results. The size of the remaining fruits will be increased when 

 the thinning is done late, but it will be of far less benefit to the tree. 



HANDLING THE CROP. 



Picking. — A knowledge of the right time to pick peaches must come 

 very largely by experience. Most varieties are so sensitive that they 

 must be picked at a certain stage or there will be a loss from over- 

 ripeness. If a grower has a large number of trees of one variety, he 

 must be prepared with sufficient help and equipment to meet the rush 

 of work that a change of weather might mean. Slow ripening is de- 

 sired as it not only allows more time in which to do the harvesting with 

 the smallest amount of waste, but also allows the fruit to become fully 

 developed. Generally, it is necessary to go over the trees three times 

 in order to gather all of the fruit, but with cool weather, some varieties 

 may require four or five pickings. On the other hand, hot weather 

 will reduce the number to two and sometimes to one. Ordinarily, the 

 trees require picking over about every alternate day, but this is variable. 

 For shipping to distant points, the fruit must be picked when firm, but 

 should have its full size and be colored as much as possible. 



Careful handling is absolutely necessarj^ to avoid bruising and this 

 carefulness must start with the pickers. The fruit is hauled to the 

 packing shed upon a low orchard wagon that is made for this special 

 purpose. 



Packing. — Packing houses should be arranged with the idea of effi- 

 ciency. There should be plenty of room, but not so large as to cause 

 unnecessary steps. Where the fruit is to be sized with a mechanical 

 sizer, the machine should be placed near the door. The peaches may 

 thus pass directly over the machine and be poured upon the sorting 

 table, from which they are placed in packages for shipment. The whole 

 idea should be to work the fruit from the receiving door to the place of 

 loading on to the wagon with the greatest ease and haste and smallest 

 expense. 



Many styles of packages for peaches are upon the market, but the 

 kinds most used are : bushel basket, Georgia carrier or six basket crate ; 

 one-half bushel basket, and one-fifth bushel. A few years ago, the last 

 named was largely used as practically the whole crop was, at that time, 

 packed in small l3askets, but the market demand has changed and the 

 bulk of the crop is now handled in a larger package, although much of 

 the early fruit is still shipped in the small baskets. The Georgia carrier, 

 or six basket crate is extensively used by some growers. When first used 

 for Michigan fruit, they were sold at very fancy prices, as only the 

 highest grade fruit was shipped in them. But the high price encouraged 

 some growers to abuse the package by filling them with a smaller grade 

 of fruit and thus, their value has been seriously reduced. Unless an 

 extra good price can be secured for fruit packed in these carriers, it 



