STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. lOI 



in bulk to the coast of eastern Maine. So we dumped them 

 into a car and in due time received for them the same price that 

 we should have got at the cider mill. Of course those apples 

 were of better quality than are usually called cider apples, as the 

 early windfalls had been carefully picked up before the wind 

 storm. 



You may like to know how we usually dispose of the refuse 

 apples. As we keep no pigs ourselves, we sell to those who do. 

 There are livery stable men who often buy large quantities of 

 such apples to feed out to horses and pigs, paying from twenty 

 to thirty cents without the barrel. Last year we sold nineteen 

 barrels to one man. 



One of the difficulties in the way of our success as orchardists 

 has been the scarcity of help. As we are unable to do the work 

 ourselves, we are obliged to depend entirely on hired help. The 

 orchard being a mile from our home it is impossible for me to 

 personally superintend much of the work ; hence it it necessary 

 to employ reliable men who understand their business. Such, 

 of course, command high wages. Consequently the orchard 

 yields a smaller profit to us than it would to a man who could 

 devote his own time to it and superintend the work in person. 

 We have been very fortunate, however, in obtaining good help. 

 For several years we have had the same man to take charge of 

 the harvesting — one whom we can trust and who has the name 

 of being one of the best apple pickers in our vicinity. Before 

 him another equally good had the care of the gathering. The 

 latter several times picked twenty-seven or eight barrels in a 

 day just to see what he could do. 



There are " exceptions to all rules," however, and we some- 

 times have unprofitable workmen. One, who was sorting apples 

 a chilly day in October, as he lolled on the sorting table, 

 remarked that he should like to sort apples if he had a chair to 

 sit in and a fire to keep him warm. We thought a few games 

 of football might help the young man. 



The matter of spraying has caused us more trouble than any 

 other. Any one who has tried it knows that it is not agreeable 

 business. Comparatively few men in our town will do it for 

 themselves and it is next to impossible to get them to do it for 

 others. However, we sprayed two or three years, and as our 

 spraying invariably brought an immediate shower or rain storm, 



