l66 THE AMERICAN APPLE ORCHARD 



fruit, preferably placed in the swing-bail half-bushel 

 basket already recommended, is poured in. This bas- 

 ket can be let down into the barrel and emptied with 

 the least possible disturbance of the faced layers. After 

 each half bushel of loose fruit has been poured in 

 the barrel should be vigorously shaken. This shaking 

 is essential. It settles the fruit together, and prevents 

 the otherwise disastrous loosening when the barrel is 

 shipped. When the barrel is practically full the top 

 layer (which will be the bottom layer after the barrel 

 is packed) is faced stems out in as neat a manner as 

 possible. When the apples are all in and this last 

 layer of facers on, the fruit should stand up even with 

 or very slightly above the top of the barrel. 



The head (or what is really the bottom of the bar- 

 rel) is then put in place. A barrel press is now neces- 

 sary. There are two types of barrel press in common 

 use the screw and the lever press. The writer pre- 

 fers the latter. With either one the heading proceeds 

 in the same manner. The upper hoops of the barrel 

 are slightly loosened. The head is pressed down even 

 with the chines, the hoops are driven home, and some 

 sort of cleat is tacked in to help hold the head in place. 



The barrel is then marked with the stencil of the 

 grower or packer, and with the name of the variety 

 and grade. Sometimes it is also marked with the 

 name of the dealer to whom it is to be shipped. It is 

 then ready for delivery, either to the buyer or to the 

 storage house. 



In packing apples in boxes the fruit is all put in by 

 hand, especially when it is to be wrapped in paper. 

 Care must be taken to get the boxes full. It is even 

 harder to make a box of apples full and tight than 

 a barrel. Some shippers cover the packed fruit with 



