PACKING AND MARKETING FRUITS 15 



rope, where it is emptied by an assistant, thus mak- 

 ing it unnecessary for the picker to climb up and 

 down the tree for every basketful. 



Picking is greatly expedited by the use of suitable 

 ladders. The best ones are of two forms. The first 

 form is the step ladder, which should always have 

 three legs instead of four. These step ladders are 

 made in large quantities now for this particular kind 

 of work. It is probably cheapest to buy ready-made 

 ladders if any considerable number is -wanted. Of 

 course, any handy man can make one or two such 

 step ladders if that is more convenient than to buy 

 them. 



The second type of ladder used in apple picking 

 is adapted for taller trees. It is of the ordinary form, 

 that is with two rails. Very often the two rails are 

 brought together at the top, making the top pointed. 

 This makes it easier to adjust the ladder securely 

 into or against the top of the large apple tree. This 

 ladder should also be as light and strong as possible. 

 They are made in large numbers and sold at low 

 prices. 



Various practices prevail with regard to the im- 

 mediate disposal of apples when they are taken from 

 the trees. Sometimes they are placed in piles on 

 the ground. Sometimes they are put into barrels 

 without sorting and left in the orchard; sometimes 

 they are put unsorted into barrels and carried to the 

 temporary storage house; sometimes they are imme- 

 diately sorted, barreled, headed up, and sent to stor- 

 age. If the stock is going to cold storage, which is 

 now the customary method, the last named plan of 

 handling the fruit is undoubtedly the best. It cer- 

 tainly is a mistake in all cases to leave the fruit on 

 the ground even for a few hours. If there is good 

 storage at home and handy by, it is a very good 

 practice to put the apples into barrels unsorted and 



