Appendix. 20S 



page, and accompanied by a full description that should enable any 

 grower to make one. 



MANAGEMENT OF PACKERS. 



Few men are fit to pack their own apples, as it is too hard for them 

 to see the worm holes. No fruit union can afford to allow members to 

 do their own packing, and even unorganized communities would benefit 

 greatly by employing the same body of trained packers successively at 

 the various orchards. Even isolated growers should endeavor, if their 

 orchai'ds are large, to train a group of expert packers and employ the 

 same ones as far as possible year after year. This is the way to build 

 up a reputation that has a cash value. 



The success attained by the Apple Growers' Union of Hood River is 

 so marked that it seems advisable to describe their system of handling 

 packers. The latter are under complete control of the manager, who 

 directs them daily where to go. When a member has picked enough 

 apples to justify commencing packing, he notifies the office. This notice 

 is listed with others, and packers are sent to the various places in the 

 order of notification as nearly as practicable. It has been found very 

 advantageous to organize the packers in crews of four, each headed by 

 a foreman. Four packers make about the right number to handle the 

 crop of the average grower; they just supply two tables, which are all 

 the ordinary packing house will conveniently accommodate; and are as 

 many as one foreman can attend to thoroughly. In some other localities 

 only one foreman is provided for as many as a dozen packers, and too 

 often confusion reigns. The foreman does no packing, but is kept busy 

 seeing that every box is properly packed, and teaching and helping 

 inexperienced packers. He sees to it that all are supplied with boxes, 

 papers and fruit; that boxes when filled are promptly removed; and 

 that everything goes smoothly. He stamps on the end of each box the 

 number and name of the apples contained, and 0. K.'s it with his own 

 individual stamp. For small jobs, especially where there is room for 

 only one to work, a single packer is detached from a crew. 



The customary price for packing is 5 cents a box for grades larger 

 than five tier; for the latter, and smaller grades, 6 cents. Under this 

 scale of prices the apples must be placed on the tables wiped and 

 practically free from culls. Wiping is essential where the fruit is 

 sprayed late in the season with any mixture containing lime, not only 

 because of the untidy appearance of the fruit, but the disagreeable sug- 

 gestion to the consumer that it is poisoned. That no actual danger 

 exists has been repeatedly demonstrated, but somehow this has not made 

 the market very brisk for white-washed fruit. Some who spray with 

 arsenate of lead find wiping hardly necessary, the deposit is so light; 

 but it is a good plant to wipe at least all red apples, if for nothing 

 more than to remove the dust. Apples which are allowed to go into a 

 sweat before wiping are very difficult to manage, as the coating of 

 spray becomes gummy and cemented to the skin. A pair of cheap cotton 



