No 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 247 



seen to in the orchard by thorough cultivation where conditions will 

 permit, or by heavy mulching where the ground is too steep for culti- 

 vation; and that the fruit has been thinned when trees have set an 

 overload. This is a practice not generally followed in the East, and 

 yet when thinning will increase the value of apples fifty per cent., 

 which the past season has proven, we may well look into it. Thinning 

 not only improves the size, but removes a working place for insects 

 and fungi, which operate between close-hanging fruits. 



Shortly before starting to pick, all dropped fruit should be gathered 

 from the ground, and removed — partly to save it from decay and 

 trampling b}' the pickers, and partly that the later falling fruit shall 

 not be mixed with it. 



Do not pick the apples too early. To my knowledge thousands of 

 barrels of apples are each year hurried from the trees and into market 

 in a green and immature condition, which interferes with selling at 

 full prices, and even affects the keeping quality of the fruit. Apples 

 should hang on the trees until they have attained nearly the full nor- 

 mal color for the variety, and until they can be picked without pulling 

 out stems or breaking off fruit spurs. Good, full color adds almost 

 one-half to Uie market value of an apple. This is not entirely a matter 

 of looks, either, for the consumer has learned that the matured apple 

 has a greater amount of sugar, consequently, better flavor, than a 

 green one. 



Apples that are mature and well colored are found to scald in 

 storage much less readily than immature fruit. In this connection 

 many growers overlook the fact that apples grow wonderfully in the 

 last ten days before full maturity, adding bushels every day that they 

 so hang; much more than balancing the small loss that may occur 

 from dropping. 



At this «point we must consider the package. Large quantities of 

 western u['j''es have been coming to our markets in boxes, holding 

 about a bushel. In most of these boxed shipments each apple is care- 

 fully wrai)ped and placed in the box by hand. Other shippers do not 

 wrap ; and still others lay a face only and pour in the balance of the 

 apples. Some eastern growers have tried box-packing in the past few 

 years, and are finding it decidely profitable. I strongly recommend 

 that more of our growers look into this method and try it, at least in 

 a small way. Personally I have had but limited experience in box- 

 packing, and shall not attempt any extended discussion of the process. 



I must acknowledge that I do not share the opinion of some public 

 speakers and many writers, that the time is fast approaching when the 

 box will entirely replace the barrel as a package for apples. Indeed 

 I question whether the proportion of boxes to barrels will ever become 

 much greater than in the past season. 



Owing to the greater cost of box-packing, this method is not profit- 

 able except in case of the best grades of fruit. Not all apples are good 

 enough for box-packing, and must be handled in some other way. 

 Moreover, box-i)acking is slower; and in the rush of handling a large 

 crop, it is not always practical, on account of time. Then, too, certain 

 ti'ade demands apples in barrels, even the best grades. Especially is 

 this true of the Southern trade, which is now taking a great many 

 Pennsylvania apples. 



The box has its place with the consumer who wishes to buy only 

 about one bushel of apples at a time, either through regular trade 



