232 



PICKING AND HANDLING FRUIT 



This seems like a goodly array of advantages and ought to be 

 sufficient to at least warrant a fruit grower in making a start. 

 Once the start is made the practice will probably be kept up. 



The actual operation varies greatly with different fruits, with 

 different men and under different conditions. Most authorities 

 seem to favor the use of a pair of shears for taking off the fruits, 

 though others are rather partial to a good pair of hands. A 

 point that is very important is to go systematically over the tree 



Fia. 110. Boys thinning apples. It cost 40 cents per tree to thin trees of this size 

 twice, and they averaged about four barrels of apples at harvest time. That is ten cents 

 per barrel for thinning and the owner was offered $1.00 per barrel more than his neighbors. 



in thinning. If he does not do this the operator never knows 

 when he is through. Begin by removing all defective fruits, 

 such as wormy or diseased ones, those that are under-sized and 

 those that show limb-bruises or other similar defects. Then try 

 to thin down to a reasonably uniform distance apart, for uniform 

 distance gives uniform fruit. This is going to vary, of course, 

 but the usual error is not to take off enough. When a man gets 

 through with the thinning and looks at the ground he is sure 



