APPLES 



321 



particularly examining the seed, as to 

 when the fruit is ripe enough to pick. 

 Some apples begin to fall as soon as they 

 are ripe, and should be picked before they 

 fall, because they are damaged in falling. 

 A little observation and experience will 

 teach persons at what time the different 

 varieties of apples should be picked. 



The second question is. how to pick. 

 There are various mechanical devices for 

 picking. They are generally unsatisfac- 

 tory. Our observation is that picking 

 should be done by hand, and that the hand 

 should be carefully guided by intelligence 

 so that the fruit may be picked at the 

 right time and without bruising or break- 

 ing the skin. Generally, there should be 

 more than one picking, since the apples 

 ripen irregularly. At a time when one- 

 third of the apples which are the earliest 

 in developing, are ready for picking, per- 

 haps another one-third should hang on the 

 trees several days longer, and another one- 

 third longer still. In order to obtain the 

 best results, have the largest number of 

 well-colored, well-flavored, and well-devel- 

 oped apples, it is better to have two or 

 three pickings. This costs more, but it 

 more than pays the extra cost in the in- 

 creased value of fruits. It is especially 

 important to have pickers trained, if ap- 

 ples are to be shipped and sold In fancy 

 markets at high prices. Pickers should be 

 trained so that they can pick the apples 

 without bruising them, without denting 

 them with the finger nails, without break- 

 ing the skin by pulling off the stems, and 

 without pulling the fruit spurs from the 

 tree. If the fruit spurs are pulled off, 

 there will be no more fruit on those spurs. 



Considerable controversy has arisen as 

 to what is the best vessel to use in pick- 

 ing. Baskets with padding on the bot- 

 toms to prevent bruising, can be used, but 

 they have been found to be somewhat 

 cumbersome. Buckets are better, because 

 it is easy to fasten them with hooks to 

 the limbs of the tree, and thus be free to 

 pick with both hands. Some use the ordi- 

 nary galvanized iron pail. Others use a 

 bucket with a canvas bottom so devised as 

 to open at the bottom, allowing the apples 

 to roll out without injury. Picking bags or 



aprons are also in use. These bags are 

 so arranged as to swing around the neck, 

 hanging down in front. They can be 

 opened at the bottom for emptying the 

 fruit without bruising. They are held 

 open at the top by a wire so that it is easy 

 to place the apples in them. They are 

 closed at the bottom by a flap which folds 

 up and is fastened to the side by means of 

 a hook and a ring, so that it is easy to 

 empty them into the boxes in which the 

 apples are hauled from the orchard. It is 

 better to haul the fruit boxes on low- 

 wheeled trucks or on sleds and to empty 

 from the boxes on to assorting tables with 



Fig. 1. This form of Picking Bucket is car- 

 ried over the neck hy a strap which is fur- 

 ther equipped with a hook which may be 

 used for hanging the bucket to a limb or the 

 picking ladder. The bucket is designed to 

 be placed with its load in an apple box. A 

 catch is released which allows the bucket to 

 part at the bottom, permitting the apples to 

 roll out into the box without bruising. 



tops made of canvas. In case assorting 

 machines are used especial provisions are 

 made to prevent bruising. If apples are 

 to be kept for the best markets, too much 

 care cannot be exercised to prevent bruis- 

 ing, and pickers should be trained to know 

 how to do this work in the best way. If 

 apples are bruised the keeping quality is 

 impaired: if the stem is pulled out or the 

 skin broken, fermentation and decay begin 

 very soon. Bruised apples, or apples with 

 the skin broken, belong with the culls, and 

 very often apples that are otherwise of 

 the very best quality and would bring the 

 highest price in the market are thrown 

 into the "cull pile" because of a little care- 

 lessness or indifference on the part of the 



