-4- 



Some fbservations of the Apple Business in California . (The following 

 interesting items concerning the Y/atsonville, California area are sub- 

 mitted b;y H. P. Silmore of 1/Vestboro), 



V arieties - Santa Cruz County has about 9,235 acres of bearing 

 apples of v7hich 5,696 acres are Wev/tOim, 1,916 Delicious, 1,323, Belief leur, 

 v/hich is declining. The district is irrigated from wells. The Delicious 

 can be grown in the hills, they are not suitable for the. rich soil on the 

 valley floor, Ke\Tton is a heavy producer -- certain blocks averaged 7;ell 

 above 800 picked boxes to the acre, and the vmole district, v;ith lighter 

 bearing Delicious included, has averaged 700 bushels to the acre. The 

 present crop promises a record. 



Collection of Bloom - In V/atsonville the llevrtcmnis self-fertile. 

 Thinning of the blooms~to one to a cluster is practiced. Collectors of 

 pollen do the work free. The pollen tihOE dried sells at ^55,00 an ounce 

 for hard pollination in districts further north. Pruning is carefully 

 done to a system. 



Storage Facilities - The storage of Nev/townis so important that 

 storage facilities aro highly developed. Facilities in use include: brine 

 for cooling and forced draft in building, one floor high, rooms not over 

 60 feet ivdde, boxes stored 20 high, v.ith the grov/ing use 3f so-called "palats" 

 holding 24 (6 high) or 28 (7 high) boxes, placed in p:)sition by a towmaster 

 or similar machine. The l-;r.'er tier is 6 high, second tier 7, upper tie-r 6, 

 furnishing air spaces at each level. The boxes are easily moved, v/ith no 

 jar to the fruit v;hen placed in storage and vihen taken out, in marked 

 contrast to hsmd piling. 



Insulation - Fcrro-thorm is coming into use. Five sheets of steel 

 stapled on 1" furring, v.'ith open spaces running from flo^r to ro^^f are 

 used for insulation instead ^-f cork in new construction. Ferro-th-^rm is 

 fire-proof, light, easily handled, vermin pro)f , cheaper than cork and 

 promises long life, as well as being an excellent insulator. 



Movement of Fruit to Storage - One of the well equipped orchards 

 had 7 rubber tired,~Tow-v;hee'led flat trucks, and tvi 'i tractors. All boxes 

 are hauled Jut on palats and left on the truck, A truck stands between 4 

 trees; as boxes are filled they are placed on the palat on the truck by the 

 pickers, v/ho are on day vjage to assure care in handling, and as soon as 

 loaded the truck is hauled to storage. All empty boxes are stored on palats 

 for ease in handling. Seven trucks Vi'ith two tractors can haul in a 50,000 

 t:> 70,000 box crop in the season of harvest. 



V/ORC ESTER COUKTY FIELD DAY 

 FRED KINGDOM FARM 

 VffiST MILLBURY 

 Demonstration of Latest Spraying and Dusting Equipment 



