326 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



Fig. 9. Picking Scene in Rogue River Valley. 

 Showing t.vpe of orchard ladders, picking 

 buckets and lug boxes in use in the orchard 

 of Mr. W. G. V. Campbell. The picking 

 bucket is the canvas bottom type. 



Orchard Trucks 



Orchard trucks should be low for ease 

 in loading; should be easy riding; and 

 preferably should have a cross reach so 

 that the rear wheels follow in the track 

 of the front wheels in turning sharp 

 angles. 



C. I. Lewis, 

 Corvallis. Oregon. 



Date of Picking and Size of .Vpples 



H. H. Braggins, of Cashmere, Wash., 

 has made some experiments in picking in 

 wiich he reaches the following conclu- 

 sions: "There has been considerable talk 

 about picking the largest and best Jon- 

 athan and King David apples from the 

 18th to the 28th of August in order that 

 the apples remaining on the tree may 

 have a better chance to grow larger. 1 

 had doubts if it would be profitable for 

 several reasons, provided the apples were 

 properly thinned in June. One reason 

 was that it costs two to three times as 

 much to pick a box of apples where you 

 only pick one here and there, as it does 

 where you can pick them all in one or 

 two pickings. Another reason is that you 

 are liable to bruise and mar the apples, 

 more or less, that are to remain on the 

 tree. This bruising is done mostly with 



the ladder. On August 18, I had a num- 

 ber of apples measured, a tag tied on the 

 stem of the apple and the date and cir- 

 cumference written on it. When we 

 picked the apples we measured them and 

 marked the results on the tag. We found 

 that the Jonathans averaged a little more 

 than 1% inches in circumference more 

 than when first measured. The Rome 

 Beauties measured 1% inches more than 

 when first measured. 



"The Winesaps averaged a growth of 

 1% inches more. It will be noted that 

 the later varieties made the largest 

 growth, because they had from one to 

 three weeks longer to grow. Apples that 

 will pack from 138-163 per box in August 

 with a growth of from 1^4 to 1% inches 

 larger later in the season, will bring 15 

 to 25 cents per box more. Does the apple 

 remaining on the tree have enough ' 

 greater growth to make up for the loss 

 on those picked early?" 



The grower in this case would not only 

 have more boxes of apples on account of 

 the larger size of the apples but he would 

 have apples which are worth more per 

 box. If there were no loss from falling 

 apples to counterbalance these gains, it 

 would pay to leave the apples on longer. 

 —Ed. 



PACKI\G OR PREPARIJJG APPLES 

 FOR MARKET 



Frank S. Kinsey 



PACKAGES 



As in marketing other farm products, 

 two methods are used in marketing ap- 

 ples. One is handling in bulk, where, if 

 any receptacle is used, it is retained by 

 the seller; the other, handling in pack- 

 ages which go with the apples, constitut- 

 ing "gift" packages. The present exten- 

 sive use of the latter method is the re- 

 sult of modern transportation and stor- 

 age facilities, which have made the apple 

 a profitable article of commerce. What- 

 ever qualities a successful apple or other 

 fruit package may possess, it must have 

 cheapness, neatness, lightness, a certain 

 amount of durability, and uniformity. 

 Three forms of package are in use for 

 apples — the basket, the barrel and the 

 box. 



