FRUIT HARVESTING OPERATIONS 



11 



of the basket. This facilitates the emptying of apples 

 into a barrel. Baskets having the wide splints and a 

 smooth interior are the best. (Fig. 5 c.) Those having a 

 woven (Fig. 5 ft.) splint work are not recommended be- 

 cause of the many sharp corners on the inside. It is 

 usually not practical to line 

 such baskets with burlap, be- 

 cause the small partidles of 

 bark, grit and dirt will stick 

 into the burlap, and the sharp 

 corners break or puncture the 

 skin. A very small puncture 

 will often cause decay as 

 quickly as a large bruise. 



Picking Bags. Various 

 kinds of picking bags are also 

 in use. These, for the most 

 part, are not to be recom- 

 mended, especially those that 

 are all constructed of cloth or 

 canvas. Some of the picking 



bags have a wooden piece around the top which will help 

 protect the fruit. These are better than the other kind. 

 The great objection to a picking bag is that in climbing 

 over a ladder or through a tree, the fruit is often 

 bruised through the bag; Small particles also collect on 

 the inside of the bag the same as they do on the burlap- 

 lined basket, and the sharp corners of the very fine 

 particles tend to puncture the skin of the fruit. 



In some places, tin pails or wooden pails (Fig. 5 a.) 

 are used. These are very satisfactory if rightly handled. 

 A tin pail, as long as it is new and flexible, is a good pick- 



FRONT BACK 



6. A HANDY PICKING 



BAG 

 Not as good as basket. 



