Picking and Packing the Fruit 397 



When the fruit has reached the condition indicated by change 

 of color, the stem will separate quite readily from the tree, 

 whereas the articulation of stem and spur does not break 

 easily nor freely prior to the beginning of maturity. 



In all handling of the fruit, great care must be exercised 

 not to bruise it in the slightest degree. It is not alone the 

 injuries which are readily seen that are dangerous, but even 

 such slight breaking of the tissues under the skin as result 

 from pressing a fruit too hard in the hand will predispose it 

 to decay. Every precaution in handling the fruit, therefore, 

 should be taken to avoid injury. 



Pickers commonly work by the day, though sometimes by 

 the basket. In either case it is advisable in working a large 

 crew, in the beginning of the harvest, even if not throughout 

 the season, to assign each picker a number and a set of checks 

 bearing the corresponding number and then require each one 

 to place a check in every basket. In this way a picker who 

 fails to do good work can be detected without fail and his 

 faults either corrected or the picker transferred when his 

 unfitness for the work is demonstrated. 



PACKING THE FRUIT 



Packing- houses. 



Under some conditions the fruit can be packed to advan- 

 tage in the orchard. In case of young trees, especially on 

 newly cleared land where the stumps still remain in con- 

 siderable numbers, it may be more convenient for the pickers 

 to carry the fruit to a central point in the orchard than to 

 haul it in a wagon to a more distant place, the packing equip- 

 ment being moved frequently to accommodate the pickers. 

 An orchard packing scene is shown in Plate XXVIII 

 (center). 



