Fruits and Culture. 395 



number depending largely upon the variety and amount of fruit being 

 packed. Some experts pack from 175 to 200 carriers a day, each person 

 handling from 20,000 to 30,000 pieces of fruit, in addition to removing 

 the baskets and middle tray of each carrier. Some fruit growers, 

 throughout the north particularly, say it is impossible to thoroughly 

 round up a basket of fruit, especially where several different sizes are 

 handled. The filling of a basket will depend largely upon the man or 

 woman doing the packing. There are several standards which must 

 be followed in order to fill a basket with peaches or fruit of any kind. 

 In the Hale orchards all the fruit is graded by hand. Many large 

 growers use graders, several kinds of which are upon the market. The 

 work is greatly facilitated where these machines are used, and from 1,000 

 to 2,000 bushels can be run through them in a day if the fruit is avail- 

 able.— Orange Judd Farmer. 



HOW MUCH COLD WILL KILL PEACHES? 



This question is hard to answer. I have watched many years ; 

 as a rule 18 below zero will kill peach buds, but I have seen them 

 endure 28 below when not far advanced or swollen, and killed at 10 

 when buds were swollen. The same is true of blooms. I have 

 Vy'atched the blooming of peach and other trees under various con- 

 ditions of temperature. Much depends on the condition of the at- 

 mosphere. When it is dry the trees will hold their bloom much 

 longer at the same temperature than if wet. Also, if the buds have not 

 been injured they look red and healthy; if injured in the bud and are 

 pale red, they will not endure much cold. In fact some are killed 

 in the bud and still bloom. Cold rains are very fatal during the 

 season of pollenation. When the flower petals are open, and the deli- 

 cate organs of fructification are fully exposed, damp weather with a 

 low temperature causes them to drop off. This unfavorable weather 

 causes fruit to drop off when the fruit is quite a good size. Again 

 after a freezing, gradual thawing is much better than sudden thawing. 



JACOB FAITH. 



