Snnuncr Meeting. 4^ 



Mr. Goodman — Ripe means fully grown and ready to separate from 

 the stem. The good color refers to the red varieties, for we cannot wait 

 luitil the yellow ones are colored on the trees. Some kinds are well- 

 colored before they are mature enough to gather. 



Wm. H. Barnes — Mr. Wellhouse of Kansas once loaded a car from 

 Lebanon, and as the day was warm he wanted to slat the doors, but they 

 were closed, and the temperature ran up to 130. In consequence, of 

 course, the apples were not fit to store. 



W. G. Gano — ^Mr. Goodman, give us the differences found between 

 those shipped by growers and those by counties? 



Mr. Goodman — The apples stored at St. Joseph were picked and 

 put direct in storage ; both those in closed and in open barrels kept well. 

 Those closed were wrapped, and those left open were later wrapped by 

 Mr. Gano, shipped to St. Louis, and these so handled (Jonathan) kept 

 until December. 



Mr. Flournoy — We have found that the same varieties differ in 

 keeping qualities in different orchards. Those from strong and thrifty 

 trees kept best. A sick tree cannot produce hardy apples. 



HANDLING AND PACKING APPLES. 



(R.T. Kingsbury, New Franklin, Mo.) 



An art as old as our first parents, for we are not told of the dire 

 consequences resulting to the entire human family because of their fail- 

 ure to handle and pack apples right ; and coming down through the suc- 

 cessive ages, have we not seen the evil results arising from the improper 

 handling and packing of this most useful of fruits? Even the small boy 

 of every nation where this fruit is grown, has made many and varied 

 attempts to learn and practice successfully this fascinating art ; for have 

 we not seen him beginning on the young fruit almost as soon as it is 

 formed, and while yet tasteless, following the growth and season, some- 

 times with sore aches and pains as a reward for his ill-spent enthusiasm 

 or love of handling apples out of season. Then, as the delicious fruit 

 begins to ripen and mellow, taking on the bright red or golden color that 

 indicates the proper time for handling and packing, with renewed zeal 

 he rises from his bed in the dewy morn ; hastily dons his scanty summer 

 clothes and hurries to his favorite apple tree before breakfast, in order 

 that he may be the first there ; hastily climbs the tree and begins to 

 handle and pack apples, always careful to select No. I's, free from worms 

 and defects of any kind, good size and color, and fine flavor. Then the 



