222 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



the press to gently crowd the head 

 down to its place, and nail securely. 



Turn the barrel over and mark the 

 kind of a^jples, the growers name or 

 initials, and Extra, Choice, Prime or 

 Xs, to suit the grade. 



Yours &c., 

 PANCOAST & GRIFFITHS. 

 Philadelphia, 14 Sept., 1887. 



THE APPLE HARVEST. 



The best time lo pick is when the 

 Apples have coloured up to show well. 

 Never pick red varieties till they get 

 red. But do not wait till all the orchard 

 or even all on one tree get thus into 

 the proper condition to pick. 



The best plan is to make two pickings 

 from each tree. That is, pick all that 

 have colored enough to insure their 

 ripening up properly, and only show 

 the least sign of shriveling, as at that 

 stage they keep the best. Some soils, 

 or situations will ripen up trees ahead 

 of others ; look out and pick these first. 

 In ten to fifteen days all that have been 

 left will ripen and redden so you would 

 hardly know your own orchard. They 

 will grow enough at this time to pay 

 for all the extra work, and the last 

 picking will give the most solid and 

 best keej)ers. 



To take care of the Apples as they 

 are picked through the hot days of 

 autumn till put into winter quarters or 

 market, I have practiced two ways. 

 The first is to haul the apples in bai-rels 

 into the barn or other house, where the 

 sun is completely shut out, but so 

 arranged that the air will circulate 

 freely. Pour them out on the floor not 

 more than four feet deep and they keep 

 that way very well till winter. The 

 other way is to pack the apples in 

 barrels as they are picked. Put in no 

 rotten or speckled ones ; fill the barrels 

 as full as you can, put in the heads well 

 without using the press. Haul in and 

 store in a barn or apple house con- 



structed without floor, on rolling 

 ground, where it will never get wet. 

 Permit free circulation through it, but 

 no sun. Such a barn gives entire 

 satisfaction. 



Apples thus handled are worth 25 

 cents per barrel more than if left out 

 till final packing time. Never put in 

 piles in the orchard, to take sun, rain, 

 and every kind of weather. Never 

 cover with straw ; I think it about 

 the worst material one could use, as it 

 heats in the sun, and makes a harbor 

 for mice. It is also difficult to keep 

 the straw and chafi" out of the barrels. 

 Corn-fodder is much better to cover 

 with, if you use anything. 



To put up the apples for market, 

 have a table about three feet wide, ten 

 feet long, and with side boards about 

 six inches high. Empty two or three 

 barrels on the table, and pick oflT the 

 rotten or speckled ones before they get 

 mashed. If they get the skin broken 

 the cider will stick to the others, mak- 

 ing them look badly. 



Pick out a basketful of medium 

 size, not the biggest apples, smooth 

 and well colored, and set two layers in 

 the head of the barrels, stems down, 

 and fit them in tight. When there 

 are larger apples in the body of the 

 barrel than there are in the head, they 

 sell the moi'e readily. 



Make at least two grades, and mark 

 them as such. As there must not be 

 a specked, bruised, or rough apple in 

 the two grades, that will leave out 

 some for the third, and they can be 

 sold in a near market, or for apple 

 butter. 



When you have filled the barrels 

 shake them to settle the apples into 

 place. Level ofl" the head apples above 

 the ends of the staves, and press the 

 he td down with as little hammering as 

 possible. Nail the hoops, driving the 

 nails as straight down into the staves as 

 you can. Then when the merchant 



