PEACH 



tickets of same number; one of these tickets is placed 

 in the bottom of each basket as he begins to fill it, so 

 that when any basket reaches the assorting table and 

 proves not to be up to the standard, the inspector of 

 grading is notified, the ticket number given to a field 

 inspector, who on horseback gallops away to tone 

 up the careless picker. Picking 3,000 bushels or more 

 of Peaches in a day, it is possible at any time to 

 locate the picker of every basket. This great orchard 

 is all blocked off by avenues running north and south 

 every 500 feet into about 12-acre tracts, with cross 

 streets every 1,000 feet, so that 250 feet is the greatest 

 distance from any tree to an avenue of travel. Each 

 picking gang has its required number of "basket boys" 

 and "toters," who keep the gang supplied with empty 

 baskets, and "tote" the full baskets to the avenues, 

 where they are loaded on broad, low-down wagons, hold- 

 ing about 80 baskets, and hauled to the packing house, 

 which is a two-story building 40 x 112 feet. The sec- 

 ond story is used for storage of crates and baskets, all 

 labeled and finished for immediate use, while the first 

 floor is a platform 3 feet high, sides open all .around 

 but protected from sun and rain by a lean-to shed about 

 it, under which the wagons drive as they come from the 

 fields with the fruit. 



Two wide packing benches run the entire length of 

 the shed; through the center of these benches, raised 

 nearly a foot, runs a line of canvas trays or pockets, 

 about 18 inches wide, and divided into sections about 

 every 2 feet. Along the outside of these benches, with 

 room enough back of them to receive the fruit 

 from the wagons, stand the graders bright 

 young men and women from the best white fam- 

 ilies of the South. There is room enough on the 

 sides of the bench, in front of the canvas trays, 

 for a row of picking baskets, filled with the 

 fruit just as it came from the tree. With one or 

 two expert graders along this line to instruct in 

 the work and consequently keep it toned up, the 

 sound fruit is assorted direct from the picking 

 baskets into three sizes: extras, No. 1's and sec- 

 onds, all carefully placed in the canvas trays in 

 front. Overripe and bruised fruit goes in baskets 

 at the feet of the grader and finally reaches the 

 evaporator, while the decayed or otherwise worth- 

 less fruit goes to the dump and is destroyed by 

 fire. On the opposite side of the bench, facing 

 the graders, stand the packers, with just room 

 enough on the edge of the bench in front of the 

 trays for the 6 basket carriers to stand length- 

 ways (this carrier from long experience having 

 been found to be the one best and most profit- 

 able package to handle the southern Peaches). 

 Removing the top layers of baskets and division 

 trays, the bottom tier of baskets is quickly and 

 firmly packed solid full of whatever standard 

 size fruit happens to be in the trays in front of 

 each packer. The division rack and top tier of 

 baskets are then replaced, and filled in the same 

 uniform way. Instructors and inspectors of 

 packing are constantly working up and down the 

 line, encouraging and assisting in the work, so 

 that uniform results may be secured. 



As each package is finished a card with the 

 packer's number is placed on top, and call of 

 "Crate!" promptly brings a "toter," who hurries 

 it to an inspection table, one of which is at each 

 end of the shed. Here an inspector, who is trained 

 to know good Peaches and good packing at sight, 

 either approves it and orders on the cover, or 

 if poorly packed, not full enough, or in any way defec- 

 tive, sends it back to the packer to be righted. Some 

 packers will not put up more than 40 or 50 crates per 

 day, while very expert ones put up as many as 150 and 

 in some cases 200; while the average is from 75 to 80 

 crates per day when the work is done under the most 

 careful inspection. The name of the variety and grade 

 of fruit is stenciled on the cover, as it is nailed on, and 

 the packer's number is penciled on the red label, on 

 each end of the crate ; then away to the car. Here, 

 placed side by side about 2% inches apart across the 

 car, it takes 7 crates. Then two strips of inch-square 

 stuff, just long enough to reach across the cur, are put 



PEACH 



1235 



on top of the crates at each end and are lightly nailed 

 down. Tier upon tier is built up in this way, "either 5 

 or 6 crates high, until the car is full. Spacing of the 

 crates and the slatting provides space for cold air 

 around each and every crate. In dry seasons, when 

 fruit is free from rot germs, cars as now constructed 

 can with safety be loaded 6 crates high, but in wet sea- 

 sons, with rot prevalent, they arrive in market in much 

 better order when loaded only 5 high. Besides the ori- 

 ginal icing, which requires 4-6 tons to a car, a re-icing 

 after loading takes 1-3 tons, depending upon how 

 long the car is loading. In going to New York, cars are 

 re-iced at Atlanta, Charlotte, N. C., and Alexandria, Va., 

 and if to New England points again at Jersey City. 

 For Chicago and the Northwest, they are re-iced at At- 

 lanta, Cincinnati or Louisville. A car will hold 525-650 

 crates, according to the size of the car and whether 

 loaded 5 or 6 crates high. Handled along best modern 

 lines, with careful inspection from start to finish, it 

 costs, including freight and all incidental expenses, 

 from 26 to 28 cents to take Peaches ripe from the tree 

 and place them in the car. Freight averages about 42 

 cents to the various northern markets, refrigeration 13 

 cents, cartage 3 cents, and commission 7-10 per cent of 

 gross sales, bringing the actual cost up to about $1 to 

 pick and market a crate of Georgia Peaches, holding 

 six 4-quart baskets. The bulk of the fruit sells at $1 to 

 $1.50, a little sells as high as $2.50 and $3, while con- 

 siderable is sold at less than a dollar, down to as low as 

 25 cents; this, of course, for fruit arriving in bad order. 



1675. 



'Tip growth" 

 of yellows. 



Left-hand specimen shows two small-leaved tips appearing in 

 October, 2 or 3 of the normal leaves still remaining near the top. 

 The middle specimen shows numerous tips appearing in August. 

 Right-hand specimen is a healthy twig, for comparison. P. 1231. 



Sales at anything above $1 per crate can be counted in 

 towards cost of production and as profit, j TT 



PEACH CULTURE IN THE FAR NORTH. Having tasted 

 Peaches that were thoroughly ripened on the tree, the 

 writer became very desirous of growing this fruit at his 

 home in northern Vermont, and knowing that the fruit 

 buds of the Peach tree are not of sufficient hardiness to 

 endure the rigor of this climate without protection, he 

 exercised himself for some cheap and effective way to 

 cover them. He remembered that when a boy his father 

 had some Peach trees near the house that had been al- 

 lowed to branch at about a foot from the ground. One 



