184 ORCHARDS. 



posures the pippin is usually ripe enough 1st October, on the 

 Northern exposures by the middle of October ; but the soil 

 yaries their ripening, and the grower must judge of the con- 

 dition of the apples by their appearance. 



Second — A new barrel only ought to be used, and after 

 taking out the bottom, not tJw head — tack the lower middle 

 hoop on each side of the bulge of the barrel with three-penny 

 nails, (no larger size nails) clinch inside so that the inside of 

 the barrel is perfectly smooth ; put the head of the barrel to 

 the floor. Carefully select the perfect apples, wipe each one 

 and place them with the stems dow^n, seeing that the apples 

 are uniform in size and appearance ; when by placing with the 

 hand the apples layer after layer till the barrel is a little 

 more than full, gently press in the bottom head and headline, 

 across the heading, using the three-penny nails, and then tack 

 the top hoop with not over 5 to 6 three-penny nails, turn up 

 the head and do the same. Mark the owner s initials and num- 

 ber of barrel, say No. 1 and up, so that when the fruit reaches 

 me it can be known. I have had much trouble from this 

 omission. 



Third — Ship to the care of the Old Dominion S. S. Co., 

 Richmond, with instructions to the Chesapeake and Ohio 

 Railroad Company, or whatever line may carry the fruit to 

 Richmond, to forward to me the blil of lading. Ship in 

 round lots of 100 barrels or more, as large uniform lots sell 

 at better prices than small and irregular lots. 



Fourth — Do not ship to this market any defective fruit, 

 nor any mixed fruit, and upon no account put large, fine fruit 

 on the head and poor small fruit in the middle of the barrels ; 

 one such barrel will defeat the sale of a thousand barrels. In 

 plain words, be certain that you pack your fruit honestly. 



Fifth — handle the ladies' apples quite as carefully as you 

 do the pippins, observing this fact that it is the small sized 

 Red Ladies' apples, which bring the highest prices; with the 

 pippin it is the large clear-skinned fruit, which command the 

 best price. 



Sixth — Wine-saps, if very carefully handled and the fruit 

 be of the same size, will generally sell at from §4 to $6 in 



