ArpENDix. 191> 



move the fruit without pouring, and to overcome this difficulty the 

 bottomless bag has been devised, which allows the fruit to roll from the 

 bottom when the chain is released. Such treatment might do with 

 oranges, but with apples — never. The average picker could never with- 

 stand the temptation to stand up and let them shoot into the box the 

 moment the foreman's back was turned. The best picking bag that has 

 come to my notice — and I consider it superior to all baskets or buckets — 

 is the apron bag shown in Figui-e 4. It is cheap, being easily made of 

 a heavy grain sack; hangs in the most convenient position for filling, 

 leaving both hands free; is so shallow that the first apples can be con- 

 veniently laid in it without dropping, and yet holds all the wearer can 

 readily carry; and fi.nally, can not be emptied by pouring unless the 

 picker stands on his head. Give him the suggestion, as a hypnotist 

 would do, that he is not handling apples, but eggs, and this bag will 

 help him live up to the suggestion. Mr. Fremont Wood, of Boise, has 

 used it in his orchard with complete satisfaction, and has not observe.! 

 any bruising of fruit from the rubbing of the bags against limbs or 

 ladders. 



For hauling to the packing house the fruit is usually emptied into 

 apple boxes, and the ease of handling these can be greatly increased by 

 having a slot for the hand cut in each end. Any box factory will slot 

 them for a trifling sum. The slots also sei've to mark off these boxes 

 sharply from the rest, and prevent fruit being packed in them, more or 

 less soiled as they are; some growers have boxes especially made for 

 this purpose, one-third lai'ger than the common size and of heavier 

 material with ends higher than the sides, stacking without danger of 

 bruising the fruit. These boxes should be hauled to the packing house 

 on a spring wagon; or, if the distance from the orchard to the packing 

 house is not great, a stoneboat is admirably suited to the purpose. 



BOXES. 



The best available material for boxes is spruce, being whiter and 

 neater in appearance than fir, and so soft that it does not easily split 

 when nailed. Fir ends split easily, and at times cause considerable 

 annoyance and loss by breaking apart while the fruit is being handled. 

 Some dealers assert that fir will not split if it is made up while green, 

 but those who have tried it find that it splits badly in seasoning. Single 

 boards for tops and bottoms are somewhat neater than two, but are- 

 harder to obtain. Proper thickness of box material is as follows: Ends, 

 three-quarters of an inch; sides, three-eights; and top and bottom, one- 

 quai'ter. Thinner ends are apt to split; thinner sides to bulge, resulting 

 in bruising in transportation; and thicker tops not to bulge enough, 

 hence crushing the fruit when sprung into place. 



Uniformity in the size of apple boxes is unfortunately lacking, though 

 two sizes, known as the "standard" and "special," have found general 

 acceptance in the Pacific Northwest. The inside dimensions of the 

 "standard" in inches are 10%xllV2xl8, and this is used far more than 



