98 The Fruit-Growers Guide-Book 



bruised at all. Most graders which have been made here- 

 tofore have rolled the apples down an inclined chute and 

 as they pass down this chute they drop through holes 

 which are graduated in size from the smallest to the larg- 

 est. These graders are bound to bruise the fruit more or 

 less, and have not been satisfactory. 



"The Hamilton grader does not roll the apples; instead, 

 they are carried along on moving belts and pass from one 

 section to the next, with a corresponding larger hole, with- 

 out any bruising. If an apple does not drop through a hole 

 in the first belt, it is carried to the next section, with a 

 larger hole; it may drop through there into a bin with a 

 canvas bottom, or it may be carried to the next section, 

 with a still larger opening. 



Fruit Is Sorted by Hand 



"The apples are dumped from the picking boxes into 

 the two bins at the head of the grader. Since the machine 

 grades only as to size, men or women stand at each side 

 of these bins to sort the fruit as to color, freedom from 

 blemishes, etc. Two sorters can work at each of these 

 bins. They simply sort the apples as to -color, worm in- 

 jury, etc., placing the perfect, well colored apples in the 

 chute marked 'Fancy' and the apples which are a litle off 

 color into the chute marked 'Choice.' Culls are dropped 

 into a box at their feet. 



"The belt forming the first division of the 'Fancy' chute 

 is perforated with holes two and one-half inches in diam- 

 eter; apples of less diameter fall through and are packed 

 in the lower grades. It will be noted in the illustrations 

 that curtains hang down at intervals in the troughs; these 

 are made of heavy ducking and are merely to prevent ap- 

 ples riding the belt between the holes, and they drag every 

 apple into an opening. 



"Now, it frequently happens that apples are of smaller 

 diameter one way than another, and may fail to go through 

 the opening in the belt in one way, whereas if turned they 

 would go through all right. To insure that all apples have 



