192 Work in a Canadian Orchard. [Sess. 



continues to part witli moisture as it did when on the tree, 

 especially if light strikes upon it, — with this great difference, 

 however, that now it receives none to make up for the 

 evaporation, and so shrivels. A sorting-board, covered with 

 some soft material, is set up at a convenient height, on 

 which the apples are emptied from the pickers' baskets. 

 The sorting is then must carefully done, and the qualities 

 are set aside in three grades — namely, firsts, seconds, and 

 thirds. The firsts and the seconds are packed in boxes or 

 barrels and prepared for export. The thirds are either sold 

 in the district at a cheap figure or put into the grower's own 

 cellar for household use, or they are sent to the cider mill. 



When packing, it is the usual practice to face the end of 

 the barrel with two layers of apples placed neatly and tightly 

 in it with the hand. These should, of course, always be fair 

 samples of those which are in the middle of the barrel. 

 The other apples are now filled in, and the whole rocked 

 so as to cause the fruit to settle down closely ; but it is 

 always a somewhat difficult matter to finish off, as the apples 

 are either too high to allow of the lid being put in, or too 

 low, in which case the barrel would be slack filled. Some 

 packers gain considerable skill, however, and seem to have 

 quite a knack in getting the right quantity into the barrel. 

 The barrel having been properly filled, the last layer should 

 come just slightly above the lid groove, and then a little 

 pressure is applied with a special press to put the lid in its 

 place. Doubtless the best fruit should always be packed in 

 boxes, as when in barrels the fruit is subjected to considerable 

 pressure. All fruit which falls during the process of picking 

 or packing should be set aside, and not used for export. 



The Government has conferred a great benefit on the trade 

 generally by the Fruit Marks Act, which has recently come 

 into operation. Many of the fruit-growers think that its 

 terms are a little too strict, but it cannot be doubted that it 

 has done great good in the way of giving confidence to those 

 who buy Canadian fruit; and in this way the farmer will 

 benefit when his fruit is sold in competition with States 

 producers, who have no such Act, for it operates in the end as 

 a guarantee of quality. The Act insists that the package 

 of apples be marked with the full name and address of the 



