390 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



they escape the limbs in low orchards. It is desir- 

 able that the front wheels should turn under the 

 platform, in order that the wagon may be turned at 

 sharp angles. The practice of loading apples and 

 other fruits into a wagon box in bulk cannot be 

 too strongly deprecated. It is only admissible when 

 the apples are of low quality, and are fit only for 

 sale as second and third grades, or for manufacture 

 into cider, evaporated stock, or other products. 



The styles of ladders to be used must depend 

 directly upon the height of the trees. In old apple 

 orchards, it is nearly always essential to have long 

 and light ladders, with a sharp or peaked top, which 

 can be run directly up into the top of the tree and 

 find lodgment against the branches. Extension lad- 

 ders are also used, but they are usually more cum- 

 bersome and more difficult to manage than the light 

 pointed -topped implement which is here mentioned. 

 In most other orchards, however, a step-ladder of 

 the ordinary pattern, but perhaps somewhat taller 

 (running from ten to even twelve feet high), is all 

 that will be required. This ladder should have a 

 flat top, and also a movable shelf upon its back, 

 where baskets may be placed. The facility of pick- 

 ing fruit is very much increased if the trees have 

 been well trained and pruned. Dwarf pears should 

 rarely reach a height of more than twelve or fifteen 

 feet ; and if pear and apple trees are planted suffi- 

 ciently far apart, and are kept open at the base, the 

 pickers can reach most of the fruit by climbing. In 

 the picking of apples and pears, there is nothing 



