218 



THE CANADIAN ITORTIC U LT U K I ST 



September, 1913 



New Brunswick Apples as shown at tha Provincial Horticultural Exhibition. 



ally used. They make the barrel safer 

 and stronger and are really essential for 

 export trade. Two liners over the ends 

 of the pieces forming the head should be 

 used, driving four to six nails through 

 each one and clinching them on the out- 

 side of the barrel. We secure the quar- 

 ter hoops by driving two nails, one on 

 each side of the barrel, in a slanting di- 

 rection, clinching them on the inside. 

 If the hoops are split we drive an extra 

 nail through the lock or lap of the hoop. 

 We use three-penny nails for securing 

 these hoops and for liners. 



We place the barrel on a good stout 

 plank and put in one of the heavy paper 

 heads . commonly used for this purpose. 

 This gives a neater ap{>earance to the 

 barrel when opened and keeps the face 

 apples cleaner and brighter. The face 

 layer should be representative, in size, 

 color and freedom from blemish, of the 

 entire package. If it fails to do this 

 then the pack is dishonest. Dishonest 

 packing has thrown hundreds of thou- 

 sands of apple trees into neglect and de- 

 cay. Why? Because it doesn't pay. 

 With a stemmer we cut off the stems of 

 all the apples for the face layer and place 

 them in position, stem end down, in a 

 series of circles starting at the outside 

 and working to the centre. The layer 

 should be firm and uniform, but a not- 

 iceably smaller or larger apple should not 

 be used just because it will make the 

 layer tight. 



The barrel is now faced and after care- 

 fully placing apples so as to cover the 

 open spaces in the face layer, it is filled 

 by emptying the apples in very carefully 

 from the basket. As each basket or two 

 baskets of apples are placed in the bar- 

 rel, the barrel is grasped at the top and 

 raised first one edge and then the other, 

 see-saw fashion, about two inches from 

 the plank on which it is setting, being 

 dropped back each time sharply but not 

 loosely or violently. A barrel should be 



racked at least three or four times dur- 

 ing the filling. 



When filled to about two inches from 

 the chime the barrel is ready for tailing 

 and is prepared for this by using a 

 barrel "follower," which consists of 

 round piece of plank smaller than the 

 head of a barrel so that it will fit nicely 

 inside and padded on the underside with 

 felt. This is placed on the apples and 

 held firmly when giving the last rack to 

 the barrel. It leaves a fairly even sur- 

 face on which to arrange the top rows, 

 or "tail up" as it is commonly spoken of. 



Tailing is the most difficult part in 

 the packing of a barrel of apples and is 

 often only half done or omitted to save 



time. The object is to arrange the last 

 two rows of apples as firmly as possible 

 ;md in such a way that when the head is 

 placed on it will touch every apple, 

 evenly distributing the pressure clown 

 through the barrel. The apples of this 

 last layer should be placed stem end up, 

 the stems being shortened as in the face 

 layer, and should bring the surface of 

 the fruit level with or slightly above the 

 top of the stave, depending considerably 

 on the variety to be packed and the dis- 

 tance to he shipped. 



Tender skinned varieties such as the 

 Mcintosh Red and Northern Spy should 

 not be filled more than level with the 

 top of the barrel, and perhaps even less 

 for comparatively local markets. On 

 the other hand solid, tough skinned vari- 

 eties, like the Ben Davis and Golden 

 Russett, should be tailed higher, as they 

 need more pressure to prevent slacking 

 in export shipping, probably about an 

 inch above the top of barrel for export 

 and less for local markets. 



In heading we remove the upper hoop 

 of the barrel and loosen the next one ; 

 lay the head in position, catch the screw 

 press under the barrel and arrange the 

 circular press head in position. Every- 

 thing is now ready for applying the pres- 

 sure, except that the top hoop is slipped 

 on loosely so that after the head has 

 been pressed down into the chime, the 

 hoop may be driven into place without 

 removing the press, first driving the sec- 

 ond hoop down into place. The head is 

 nailed in the same manner as in the face 

 endj using liners. The face is stencilled 

 and the barrel laid on its side. 



Gathering the Apple Crop, Mr. Sterling's Orchaiti, Kciowna, B.C. 



—Photo by G. H. 



E. Hudson. 



