86 



CRAKBERRY GULTURE. 



In New Jersey, ^ve commencG picking on savannas 

 about the middle of September; but on our densely mat- 

 ted swamp lands, it is deferred until the 1st of October; 

 the time being regulated by the coloring of the berries. 

 The work siiould commence as soon as they are suffi- 

 ciently colored to command good prices, in order that 

 they may all l)e gatliere 1 before the first heavy frost, 

 which may be looked for towards the last of October. 



Much care is requisite, while picking, to secure the ber- 

 ries without bruising them. If 

 they are }>oured into bags, and 

 used for seats by the pickers, 

 or thrown over their shoulders 

 and carried half a mile or so. 



over a rough road, the loss from 



-I'OUTABhB FAN. 



shrinkage and decay will l)e 



very considerable. But if the 



fruit is picked in pock baskets 



or boxes, and poured directly 



into the ])ackages in which they are to be shipped, no loss 



from the handling will ensue. 



When dead vines, grass, etc., are gathered with the 



fruit, they may be blown out while it is being poured into 



the barrel, by using a very light, movable fan (fig. 32), 



made to clamp the edge of 

 the bai-rel, somewhat in the 

 same manner that a clothes- 

 wringer is fastened to the 

 Fig. 33 —PECK BOX. tub. This machine would 



also remove the dried or shriveled berries, and leave the 



fruit in a good marketable condition. 



The idea is for the picker to pour a peck of berries into 



the hopper. A, and turn the crank 1> while they are run- 

 ning through. The invention is not patented, and we 



give it to the public for what it is worth. 



We have used peck boxes, fig. 33, for j)icking in, made 



