196 



CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



gauge for marking, as shown at a. 

 These are more convenient for handling 

 than barrels, and, when filled level, can 

 be stored in piles on the barn floor to 

 any height and then emptied out upon 

 the packing-table for sorting. 



Mr. R. W. Starr, of Cornwallis, N.S , 

 advises packing in the orchard as fast 

 as the apples are picked. This plan is 

 no doubt the most economical, and if 

 the fruit is to be shipped and sold im- 

 mediately, no doubt it is the best. 

 And probably in Nova Scotia and our 

 Northern sections the plan might suc- 

 ceed, but in Southern Ontario we often 

 have, some hot October weather, and 

 we are glad of the opportunity at the 

 last moment of overhauling our fruit, 

 and removing many a decayed apple 

 which was apparently sound when first 

 picked from the tree. This is especially 

 the case with such varieties as King 

 and Cranberry Pippin. But with firm 

 varieties such as Baldwin, Russet and 

 Spy, perhaps the plan would work well 

 and is worthy of a trial. The first 

 requisite for this mode is a movable 

 sorting-tal.le. This is made light and 

 strong of about the following dimen- 

 sions, viz : — length 7 ft., width ;U ft., 

 with a rim around the edge from 4 to 

 6 inches high. The legs at one end are 

 just long enough to permit of a barrel 



being^set under the opening, 'and at the 

 other about 4 inches longer so as to give 

 the apples a tendency to roll down to- 

 ward the packer. For convenience of 

 moving some attach wheels to the legs 

 of one end. We copy from the Prairie 

 Farmer a drawing of such a packing- 

 table, believing that it may prove of 

 interest to many of our readers. 



Of course the first basket-full will 

 need to be carefully laid in the barrel 

 by hand, but after that the packer can 

 so break the fall of the apples with his 

 hands that they will suffer no bruise, 

 and can sort as rapidly as two or three 

 would do, picking them up from heaps 

 on the ground. With this table the 

 packer may follow his pickers from tree 

 to tree, and have each basket-full 

 emptied upon his table as it is brought 

 down from the tree. If he is making 

 two qualities of firsts, or two sizes, of 

 course he would need a second barrel 

 close at hand to receive the extras ; and 

 the seconds, whether from the tree or 

 the ground, may be left in heaps till the 

 choicest are shipped away. Mr. Starr 



says he uses fine, dry shavings in each 

 end of the barrel, covered with good 

 white or raanilla paper ; and thus pro- 



