HARVESTING AND .MARKETING 153 



made in various styles, usually of oak or elm splints. 

 These baskets are now used in such large quantities 

 that they can be bought at very reasonable prices. If 

 fine fruit is to be handled with special care, it is worth 

 while to have the baskets padded inside. Each basket 

 should be furnished with a hook made by bending a 

 strong ^-inch wire into the form of a very crooked 

 S. This can be hooked over the limb of the tree so as 

 to leave the picker free to use both hands. When the 

 picking is being done in large trees this same hook 

 allows the basket to be let down to the ground by a 

 strap or rope, where it is emptied by an assistant, thus 

 making 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 stepladder, which should always have 

 three legs instead of four. These stepladders 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 

 stepladders 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 immedi- 

 ate disposal of apples when they are taken from the 



