FARM STORACxKS FOR APPLES 3 



HANDLING THE CROP 

 Ways of Handlinji Apples from Orchard to Market 



After a crop of clean, well-matured fruit is grown and har\ested, the next 

 problem is to handle the apples in such a way as to insure the maximum net 

 returns. Conditions vary to such an extent that methods employed in one 

 orchard may not be suitable for another. Unless apples are to be sold immediately 

 after harvest they should be placed in a suitable storage. Early and mid-season 

 varieties, such as Wealthy, Duchess, and Gravenstein, should be placed in cold 

 storage if they are to I)e hild foi- a niontli or more before going to market . Late 

 varieties such as Baldwin, Northern Spy, and Wagener may be held (juite satis- 

 factorilv until March 1 in a well-managed, air-cooled storage. Some growers 

 occasionally have reasonabK good success in storing Mcintosh in air-cooled 

 storage for short periods, although in some seasons sufficienth- low temperatures 

 cannot be maintained in this type of storage at harvest time to retard adequately 

 the ripening process. 



S!)nie of the more cominon method.s of handling the apple crop are as follows: 



\. Store, ^rade, pack, and sell. 



Li this case the fruit goe? directh' into .storage as it is picked. Advantages of 

 this system are: 



(a) It reduces the pressure of work at harvest time. 



(b) The packing may be done by a small, well-trained crew after the rush of 

 the harvesting season is over. 



(c) The apples are packed as they are sold, thereby offering to the trade a 

 fresh pack of sound fruit. 



An objection to this system is that valuable storage space is wasted on culls 

 and low-grade fruits that under other systems would be eliminated and not 

 stored. This objection may be overcome in part if the culls are removed as the 

 apples are placed in the field boxes. 



2. Grade, pack, store, and sell. 



With this method the apples are graded and packed for market, then placed 

 in storage until sold. As a result, only the better grades of fruit are stored while 

 the poorer grades are disposed of iminediately. 



The chief objections to this method are: 



(a) A larger crew is required at harvest time, 



(b) Fruit that has been held in cold storage for several months frequently 

 needs repacking. 



3. Grade and pack in orchard and sell immediately. 



This method requires a minimum amount of equipment, gives the grower an 

 immediate cash return for his fruit, and relieves him from further worry concern- 

 ing it. However, apples handled in this way usually arrive on the market in 

 competition with abundant supplies of cheap fruit and consequently have to 

 be sold at a relatively low price as compared with similar apples that are held 

 in storage unti' the market has become more stable. 



4. Grade, store, pack, and sell. 



With this method the apples are sorted and the better grades stored according 

 to grade and size and later packed as they are sold. While this system necessitates 

 extra handling, it facilitates the filling of an order for a specific grade and size of 

 fruit and insures its arrival on the market in a more attractive condition than 

 when it is packed and then stored. 



