No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 479 



MR. CATCHPOLE: We never noticed the cutting of the edges. 

 The only trouble we have is in filling crates too full. 



Member: How far apart are the slats? 



MR. CATCHPOLE: About an inch to an inch and a quarter. 



Member: Are slat edges sharp or rounded? 



MR. CATCHPOLE: Sharp. 



E. C. TYSON: We have noticed quite a little cutting where fruit 

 comes into contact with edge of slats. It has been a question in 

 my mind whether it would not be well to have a solid box. 



MR. CATCHPOLE: It is very objectionable in many ways. Too 

 heavy, too expensive unless it were built of light wood like orange 

 boxes. Possibly your varieties are more tender than ours. It makes 

 material difference how these crates are filled. We never allow 

 a man to fill a crate on the ground itself. Place one crate on top 

 of another and fill it. 



We understand you people here are using baskets entirely on high 

 grade fruit. We use the blouse picking garment. It consists of 

 large loose garment, cut long, "gathered" and held at waist of wear- 

 er by a strap, and then by having one crate on top of the other the 

 apples are only dropped the height of the crate itself. We use a 

 crate a little larger than the regular bushel so it holds a bushel scant 

 full and then we do not allow our men to fill them more than even 

 so that upper crates do not touch any apples on the lower. 



Member: Would vou recommend plowing orchard in the fall? 



MR. CATCHPOLE : I would not. 



Member: Suppose there was not time in the spring? 



MR. CATCHPOLE: I certainly would plow it now rather than 

 not plow it at all by all means. 



In regard to orchard cultivation. You who have been reared on 

 your grain farms are inclined to feel that the ordinary farm opera- 

 tions must be done first and if there is any time left the orchard 

 is cared for. That will not do. You should put your farm opera- 

 tions second and attend to the orchard first. It is going to require 

 a great effort on your part. First take from your equipment that 

 which the orchard needs and attend to the farm work next. It is 

 a hard proposition but with a little care it can be overcome. The 

 first spray before bloom always comes at the time when the spring 

 crops should be planted, but the orchard should be sprayed. What 

 are you going to do? Attend to the orchard by all means. There 

 is more possibility of profits from it than from many times the 

 acreage in farm crops. 



Member: You do not allow the orchard to lie in sod more than 

 one year? 



MR. CATCHPOLE: Not under most conditions. If you have hill 

 land subject to erosion it is altogether different, but the better plan 

 is, don't plant those higli hills. They are too expensive orchards. 

 There is plenty of level land about here. 



CHESTER TYSON: We like to go on our hills for the good fruit. 



MR. CATCHPOLE: You doubtless have level land on top of the 

 hill. I would avoid the steep slopes. 



Member: Is vinegar making proving a profitable industry? 



MR. CATCHPOLE: Over in our state we have a law which was 

 supposed to be a grand good thing for the grower of apples, but it 

 has proved to be entirely in the interest of the commercial vinegar 

 makers. They have a way of getting a whole lot of acetic acid out 



