AGRICULTURE IN OUR RURAL SCHOOLS. 259 



into the rural schools will bring more students into the state agri- 

 cultural school and college, and will not only build up technical 

 knowledge but will build up a better civilization on our farms and in 

 our state. 



GATHERING, HANDLING AND PACKING TRANS- 

 CENDANT APPLES. 



J. T. GRIMES, MINNEAPOLIS. 



I have 332 Transcendant apple trees, from which were gathered 

 the past season 1,283 bushels of apples, an average of about four 

 bushels to the tree. Some of the largest trees yielded over ten 

 bushels. We had so much fruit, we were at a loss to know what to 

 'do with it. Transcendants picked green, bruised and in bad condi- 

 tion had been forced upon the market in such large quantities that 

 there seemed to be no demand, and we had too many to think of dis- 

 posing of them at retail. So we applied to a shipper, who sent out 

 his inspector to examine our orchard. They made us an offer of 

 fifty cents a bushel for one car load of 160 barrels, they to furnish 

 the barrels and packer, and we to pay the pickers and deliver on 

 the cars. So the deal was closed, and the car was sent out. We soon 

 got a reply, saying it was as nice a lot of fruit as they had ever 

 received and to send another car. We got our returns promptly in 

 cash with the request that when we had fruit to ship, they would like 

 to have the privilege of handling it. 



Some instructions are here given to those of you who expect 

 to grow Transcendants by the car load, or any other apples, for that 

 matter. 



In the first place, ladders must be provided for as many pickers 

 as you expect to employ. If the trees are large, they should be from 

 sixteen to eighteen feet long and made light and strong. The pick- 

 ing should not begin until the fruit is fairly ripe, that is, beginning 

 to color up. Then everything should be ready. Drop a notice in 

 one or two of the daily papers that you want so many boys from 

 sixteen to eighteen years of age to pick apples, to commence at a 

 certain time. It is wonderful how boys will turn out, more than 

 you know what to do with, but then you can take the pick of the 

 boys. They get eight cents a bushel for picking, which is a fair 

 price. Some of the boys only make from six to eight bushels while 

 others turn out from twelve to sixteen for a day's work. Each boy 

 is provided with a belt upon which to hook a light basket, holding 

 about a third of a bushel, thus enabling him to use both hands in 

 picking. The fruit must not be dropped into the basket but handled 



