144 FOOD FOR PLANTS 



healthy green, it indicates that they cannot fulfill 

 their chief function of manufacturing food. 



To attain annual crops, the trees must have suffi- 

 cient food to make their strength enough to produce 

 big healthy fruit spurs and fruit buds, and to enable 

 the fruit spurs to set fruit buds for the following 

 year. 



Harvesting. 



The ripeness of the apple is indicated by the ease 

 w^ith v^hich it v^ill separate from the twig, its color, 

 its size, the color of the seeds and the tendency to 

 drop. The early, or so-called *'summer" varieties, 

 ripen in July in the medium latitudes, and the ripen- 

 ing period extends well into October for the winter 

 varieties. 



Much more attention is now given to the grading 

 and packing of apples than in previous years, and 

 better marketing methods are being perfected. Me- 

 chanical sorters, or "sizers," are commonly used. In 

 the West there are three principal grades: Extra 

 Fancy, Fancy and C Grade. Boxed apples of uni- 

 form grade and attractive packing command a much 

 better price than apples sold in open baskets, topped 

 hampers, or barrels. Large quantities of apples are 

 kept in cold storage, thus insuring a more even dis- 

 tribution on the market. 



Varieties. 



No definite varieties can be recommended as the 

 'best" under all circumstances. Usually in each 



