26 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



of the Schellenger. We ordinarily run 250 barrels a day 

 through our machine ; but sometimes as many as 325 barrels. 



Apple packages. For the special or personal market, the box 

 pack is all right, but there is a limit to the amount of the box 

 apples that can be handled to advantage. In Virginia there are 

 fewer apples boxed now than five years ago. The past four 

 years Virginia apples have paid better in barrels than in boxes. 

 I shall not box except special varieties like the Mother. We are 

 catering to the wholesale trade and most of our apples had 

 much better be in barrels. Until a grower can produce around 

 90 per cent of his crop fancy stock he had better let box pack- 

 ing alone. 



We have our troubles with labor, as I suppose you do. A 

 large part of the local help available is not altogether dependable. 

 I have found it necessary in handling a large orchard, packing an 

 average of 4,000 barrels each year, to have dependable help, so I 

 get a force of men from elsewhere and camp them on the farm. 

 Then whether you want to work one hour or ten hours, they are 

 on hand. I find it is the best solution of the labor problem. 



One end of the packing shed is used as a cooper shop. Some 

 years it is hard to get apple barrels. Occasionally we have had 

 to hang around the cooper shop until nine o'clock at night, wait- 

 ing for a chance to get barrels. Two years ago I decided I had 

 done enough of that. Now I get the stock in car lots and make 

 my own barrels. This year I ordered cooperage stock for four 

 thousand barrels. It cost me twenty-two cents a barrel laid 

 down at Fisherville, and it cost five cents a barrel to make, so 

 the barrel cost me twenty-seven cents. These barrels were just 

 as good as those sold by the local cooper shop for thirty-seven 

 cents. This ten cents saved is worth just as much as getting ten 

 cents a barrel more for the apples. One of the advantages of 

 large operations is that you can save in these ways. 



I have found that it costs me, one year and another, with 

 seven years' records available to date, $1.15 to grow a barrel of 

 York or Ben Davis apples and put on board the cars. The aver- 

 age selling price has been $2.65 f. o. b., Fisherville. the last 

 seven years. This may not seem large to you. but remember 

 it is wholesale apple growing. This gives a fair margin of 

 profit; if I can do as well as that in the years to come I shall 

 be satisfied. But the boom days, when everybody was excited 

 and putting out apple orchards, are over. You will not find 



