STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 103 



the fruit. At the first thought it would seem as though ver}- little 

 could be said in regard to picking an apple. You may go out to 

 employ a man to help you ; you ask him if he knows how to pick 

 apples ; he will invariably answer, ''Oh, yes ; I can pick apples." 

 I don't think you could find a man that would acknowledge that he 

 did not know how. I have seen these men start for a tree, set their 

 ladder up and let it come down on to the limbs loaded with fruit, at 

 an angle of about 45 degrees, bringing down more or less apples at 

 the first charge ; then they will go up the ladder or onto it, hang up 

 their basket and go at it with both hands, seizing the apple with the 

 points of all their fingers and thumb, pressing with all their strength 

 so as to be sure of their hold, then give a yank, and either the limb, 

 fruit spur or the stem of the apple has got to come ; and a barrel of 

 apples, especially if they are of a light skinned variety, will look as 

 though they had been kicked rather than picked off. It is unneces- 

 sary for me to say that that isn't the way at all. That man doesn't 

 know how to pick apples. 



In the first place, you should be properly equipped with ladders 

 and baskets. The best ladder that I have ever used for a light 

 person like myself for small trees was made in about fifteen minutes, 

 and I have used it for the past ten years ; it was made of two spruce 

 poles not more than two inches through at the butt and about 14 

 feet long, straight and holding their size well ; they were slightl}'^ 

 spotted on one side. I then nailed on short pieces for rounds, 

 longer at the bottom than at the top, with two clinch nails in each 

 end, making a very light and strong ladder. I have other kinds 

 but this is the favorite with both myself and my men. The basket 

 should hold about half a bushel with a handle that will tip down 

 with a hook firmly attached to the center. Place your ladder care- 

 full}^ against the limbs as nearly perpendicular as possible and allow 

 of a man ascending it ; go up carefully, hang your basket securely 

 on the ladder or a limb and begin by picking those apples under and 

 nearest to the ladder, taking the apple full in the palm of the hand, 

 with the fore finger or thumb placed against the stem then with a 

 sharp cant, it is severed from the limb or fruit spur at the joint. 

 After they are well picked, different varieties require different treat- 

 ment. All light colored fall apples should be picked directly from 

 the basket into the barrel so as to save all the handling possible. 

 All colored fall fruit may well be put into piles upon the ground to 

 be sorted up and put into barrels, by an experienced hand, as you 



