68 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING 



both ends of the barrel. The empty barrel is placed 

 head down in front of the packer. A layer of good 

 specimens is placed in concentric rings, stem end 

 down, on this reversed head, and a second faced layer 

 is placed on top of this. Some careful packers face 

 three layers, but this is hardly necessary. After the 

 two facing layers are in position, the barrel is filled 

 nearly full by pouring in the sorted fruit from baskets, 

 or by letting the apples roll over a padded curtain 

 or sleeve from the sorting table. Finally two more 

 layers of good specimens are laid on the top by hand. 

 These are placed in concentric rings and faced toward 

 the opposite head (in this case the bottom) of the 

 barrel. The last layer should protrude about two or 

 three inches, this amount being taken up by the pres- 

 sure when the head is put on. 



The head is then put on top of the apples either 

 with or without a paper heading inside (see under 

 *' Fruit Package," Part IV.), and is forced down into 

 place with a suitable press. This pressure is so 

 great that the apples on the face are considerably 

 bruised at times; but this seldom results in any loss, 

 whereas insufficient pressure is often the source of 

 serious damage to the fruit during shipment. The 

 apples are apt to shrink measurably, either by trans- 

 piration of water or by incipient decay, and this 

 shrinkage immediately leaves the fruit loose in the 

 barrel. If there is the slightest looseness during ship- 

 ment, or when the barrels are handled, the apples 

 shake about in the barrel, and are quickly bruised to 

 their permanent injury — sometimes till they are totally 

 spoiled for use. 



