296 THINNING AND HARVESTING FRUIT 



The fruit grower should not allow pickers to climb the 

 trees. Peaches, plums, and many of the other trees should 

 be grown to such a form that the larger portion of the crop 

 may be harvested from the ground. When ladders are 

 necessary, they should be constructed of light durable 

 material and made in such a form as to be most easily 

 handled. Long basswood ladders, built in the form of an 

 inverted V, are light and may be pushed easily between 

 the branches. Stepladders built with a one-legged brace 

 stand up better on uneven ground than those with two 

 legs. Some growers prefer a basket or pail as a receptacle, 

 others prefer a canvas sack. There is danger of bruising 

 fruit by dropping it carelessly into the basket, while with 

 the sack, a careless picker rubs the fruit against the ladder. 

 Care should be exercised in emptying these receptacles. 

 The contents should not be poured roughly into the box 

 or barrel, but the fruit should be allowed to roll out 

 gently. 



Grading. For the most successful packing of fruit 

 there is nothing more essential than proper grading. Size, 

 color, and freedom from blemish are all essential in making 

 the grades. Large and medium sized fruit should not be 

 placed in the same package, or highly colored fruit with 

 that which is poorly colored. Although medium-sized 

 fruit sells well when placed in a package by itself, it gener- 

 ally becomes second-grade fruit when placed in a package 

 with larger specimens. Grading, therefore, results in getting 

 better prices for the large fruit and just as good prices for 

 that of medium size as if mixed together. 



The market grades of fruits are variously designated. 

 The choicest fruit is marked " choice," " select/' or 

 " fancy/' and the second-grade stock " first," " A i," or 



