PACKING AND MARKETING FRUITS 17 



ager -can afford to pay him good wages, although as 

 a matter of fact such men rarely secure more than 

 two dollars a day. 



We have already recommended that the sorting 

 be d^ne immediately after the fruit is picked, either 

 in the field or in the temporary storage house. Some 

 men spread the fruit on the ground for sorting. It 

 is a good deal better to have sorting tables, which 

 should be three feet wide and six to eight feet long. 

 They should be eight inches deep and should be put 

 on trestles or legs so as to stand about three feet four 

 inches from the ground. It is good policy to have the 

 bottom and sides padded to prevent bruising of the 

 fruit. We have frequently seen the bottoms made 

 with slats, the idea being to allow the leavers and 

 other rubbish to sift through. This is not a good 

 practical construction. In the first place it weakens 

 the bottom, and in the second place these slats are 

 always inclined to bruise the fruit more or less. It 

 is easy enough to dispose of the rubbish in some 

 other way. 



On the table like that here descr bed from two 

 to four barrels of fruit can be spread out at once. It 

 is desirable to have a considerable quantity of fruit 

 within the reach of the man who is sorting in order 

 that he may work rapidly and secure a uniform 

 grade. 



Some of these sorting tables are made with a 

 chute or spout at one end, usually furnished with a 

 cloth spout leading into the barrel, through which 

 the apples are allowed to run. If managed with 

 some care the apples can be handled in this way 

 without severe bruising. In the judgment of the 

 writer it is much better, however, to sort the apples 

 into baskets. These should be of the kind already 

 described for picking. The half-bushel swinging- 



