FRUIT HAHVKSTIXG OPERATIONS 



15 



the fruit is carefully handled, the bad or bruised ones will 

 be very few and can be easily thrown out when the grad- 

 ing is done. It is now customary to place all of the 

 fruit, as fast as it is picked, in either barrels or boxes 

 and then remove it 

 immediately to stor- 

 age or to the packing- 

 house. 



The western people 

 favor the box (Fig. 

 11). If they do not 

 care to take the regu- 

 lar packing-box into 

 the field, they provide 

 what is known as the 

 "lug" box holding 

 about 50 pounds each. 

 Fruit is put into 

 these, placed on a low 

 wagon (Fig. 12), and 

 taken immediately 

 to the packing-house. 

 It is then packed di- 

 rect from these boxes, Fig . 10 ._ TYPE OF PICKING LADDER 

 hence no pouring, or USED IN THE NORTH WESTERN u. s. 

 little handling of the 



fruit is necessary. The Eastern fruit growers are gradu- 

 ally adopting the box method, and in a few years it is 

 probable that the barrels will be largely replaced by boxes. 

 However, the barrel can be used to good advantage, and 

 is quite a convenient receptacle in which to move the 

 apples from the orchard to the packing-house. As soon 



