CHAPTER II 



PREPARING THE FRUITS FOR MARKET 



The Packing-House. Almost all fruits are arranged 

 for market in some kind of a packing-house, and this is 

 usually necessary. Fruit ought not to he exposed to 

 the sun during the day and, in the Northern states, 

 where apples are harvested late, they must be protected 

 at night from extreme and varying temperatures. This 

 may best be done in a specially designed packing-house. 



For small fruits in the Northern states, and for some 

 of the tree-fruits in the South, the only packing-house 

 that is necessary is four posts set up in the orchard, 

 v/ith a wood or canvas roof to keep out the sun and give 

 a comfortable place for the workmen to grade and pack 

 tlie fruit. The old practice of packing fruit, especially 

 apples, in dark cellars under dwellings, is decidedly 

 unpractical. In the first place, they are always dark 

 and usually damp and uncomfortable places for the 

 men to work; besides large quantities of fruit stored 

 under a residence is not good for the health of the 

 family living above. 



Where more than 30 or 40 barrels of fruit are to be 

 harvested and stored, some kind of a special cellar and 

 packing-house is provided. In large orchards these 

 may be erected in the orchard itself. In other places 

 it is put up near the other buildings of the farm, mak- 

 ing it convenient to the residence and so far as possible 



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