INDIANA HOETICULTUEAL SOCIETY. 265 



In beginning- the picl^^ing I would note what varieties needed atten- 

 tion tirst, and have a tree picked all around as high as a man could 

 reach before allowing the ladders used. I would watch and see that 

 the men did not drop their apples in the baskets, but place each one in. 

 As fast as the bask+;ts were tilled they would be dumped on the tables 

 for the graders and packers. 



I would employ enough force to pick, grade and pack at the same 

 time, also have teams to get the packed fruit into the car or storage 

 every day, as fast as they were packed. 



To pack a barrel I would head line the head having the most pieces 

 in it. put four nails in the end hoop and two in each center hoop; knock 

 out tlie other head and clinch all inside nail points; would then pick out 

 a half bushel basket of nice well colored apples of as near one size as 

 possible and don1)le face the barrel by placing the apples, thin end down, 

 in as neat manner as i)ossible, and my barrel would then be ready to 

 receive the graded apples. TJie barrel should be shaken as the baskets 

 are emptied, and filled from one to two inches above the chime of barrel 

 and head placed in. I prefer using a screw press to a lever, as it is not 

 necessary to do so much pounding on the head. When head is in seciu-e, 

 place liners on, nail top hoop, turn barrel on its side and stencil the 

 name of variety on the faced end. 



All the packed apples should be rushed to storage, as the sooner they 

 are in the better they will come out. 



In some sections of this State there is so little care taken of the 

 orchards that when they have a crop, the apples are so poor that there 

 is no inducement to a buyer to locate and the result is that the growers 

 sell for very little money (high price, even then), make their apples into 

 cider or let them rot, and swear there is nothing in the apple business. 

 If these same people Avould go to work and cut out the blackbei-ry patches, 

 grub out the sassafras and other sprouts, break up the sod and get the 

 ground down in good shape and keep it that way, spray thoroughly and 

 trim out from one-fourth to one-half of the top, they would soon have 

 fruit that the buyers want, and the result would be competition, and 

 a better price per barrel, in addition to the increase in the number of 

 barrels of packing grades, and pleasure of having something to sell that 

 brings the top price without liaving to scheme or have trouble in settle- 

 ment. 



Apples off of good healthy trees are worth more money to both grower 

 and buyer than those from an ill-kept, diseased ti'ee, and the picking, 

 grading and packing Avould become a very small matter to the buyer if 

 the grower would see that his orchard has up-to-date attention. 



