26 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



of the Schellenger. We ordinarily run 250 barrels a day 

 through our machine : but sometimes as many as 325 barrels. 



Apple packages. For the special or personal market, the box 

 pack is all right, but there is a limit to the amount of the box 

 apples that can be handled -to advantage. In \'irginia there are 

 fewer apples boxed now than five years ago. The past four 

 years \'irginia apples have paid better in barrels than in boxes. 

 I shall not box except special varieties like the Mother: We are 

 catering to the wholesale trade and most of our apples had 

 much better be in barrels. Until a grower can produce around 

 90 per cent of his crop fancy stock he had better let box pack- 

 ing alone. 



We have our troubles with labor, as I suppose you do. A 

 large part of the local help available is not altogether dependable. 

 I have found it necessary in handling a large orchard, packing an 

 average of 4,000 barrels each year, to have dependable hel)). so \ 

 get a force of men from elsewhere and cam]) them on the farm. 

 Then whether you want to work one hour or ten hours, they are 

 on hand. I find it is the best solution of the labor problem. 



One end of the packing shed is used as a cooper shop. Some 

 years it is hard to get apple barrels. Occasionally we have had 

 to hang around the cooper shop until nine o'clock at night, wait- 

 ing for a chance to get barrels. Two years ago I decided 1 had 

 done enough of that. Now I get the stock in car lots and make 

 my own barrels. This year I ordered cooperage stock for four 

 thousand barrels. It cost me twenty-two cents a barrel laid 

 down at Fisherville, and it cost five cents a barrel to make, so 

 the barrel cost me twenty-seven cents. These barrels were just 

 as good as those sold by the local cooper shop for thirty-seven 

 cents. This ten cents saved is worth just as much as getting ten 

 cents a barrel more for the apples. One of the advantages of 

 large operations is that you can save in these ways. 



I have found that it costs me, one year and another, with 

 seven years' records available to date, $1.15 to grow a barrel of 

 York or Ben Davis apples and put on board the cars. The aver- 

 age selling price has been $2.65 f. o. b., Fisherville, the last 

 seven years. This may not seem large to you, but remember 

 it is wholesale apple growing. This gives a fair margin of 

 profit; if I can do as well as that in the years to come I shall 

 be satisfied. But the boom days, when everybody was excited 

 and putting out apple orchards, are over. You will not find 



