-6- 



HARVESTING METHODS 



The harvest season is undoubtedly the most hectic season for fruit growers. 

 A moment's carelessness can ruin fruit that has taken months to grow. Studies 

 conducted by Professor 0. C. Roberts in which he examined Mcintosh apples at 

 harvest for bruises and skin punctures showed that some pickers damage an 

 unbelievable number of apples. He examined a fifty apple sample from two boxes 

 harvested by each of five pickers in twenty different orchards. In one orchard 

 where all pickers were considered experienced men, 46 per cent of the apples 

 examined from boxes picked by one individual had bruises 1/2 inch in diameter 

 or greater. On the other hand, in the same orchard 6 per cent of the fruit 

 harvested by another picker had bruises 1/2 inch or larger. 



Carefully conducted studies have shown that much of the bruising which 

 occurs at harvest can be reduced by close supervision. Careful supervision is 

 the backbone of a good picking crew ! Take time to show pickers how to pick 

 properly and avoid bruising. If you do not have copies of Special Circulars 245, 

 "Harvesting Suggestions for Orchard Foremen" and 246, "Be a Better Apple Pickerl", 

 they may be obtained at your County Extension Service. Poor pickers cost growers 

 moneyl Have you ever figured out how many less severely bruised apples per box 

 it will take to more than pay for a bonus to good pickers? 



Obviously, harvesting methods are not identical in orchards and the pro- 

 cedure must be adapted to the particular orchard. The harvest operation must 

 be well organized if time, cost and bruising is to be kept at a minimum. 



Following is a summary of harvest procedures currently being used by Massachusetts 

 Growers. One or more of these practices or perhaps some modification of a 

 practice may be practical for your situation. 



1. pickers are commonly instructed to pick the fruit from ground where 

 ladder will first be placed; Then to set the ladder and pick from the lower 

 to the upper part of tree, picking all apples within reach. The pickers are 

 instructed not to completely fill container but to come down and finish filling 

 by picking fruit from lower limbs where the ladder will be set next. 



2. Inexperienced labor is frequently used for carrying filled boxes to 

 central locations for handier loading, leveling filled boxes and other time 

 consuming jobs. 



3. Other growers prefer to level boxes at the packing shed. Growers have 

 been observed to set up two sets of roller conveyors so that the trailer loaded 

 with apples can be backed between them. The tractor driver unloads the apples 

 directly on to the conveyors. The boxes are leveled and placed on pallets. 



4. Inspectors, usually women are hired by some growers to inspect random 

 boxes of the pickers' fruit. A score card is made for the pickers and posted 

 where they can compare their ratings with the rest of the pickers. A fourth 

 of the crew with the least number of bruises is paid 5c per bushel bonus. 

 Each day is a new deal. 



