September, 1915. 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



223 



Grading and Packing Apples 



(Continued from Page 209) 



necessary if the pack is going to be 

 uniform. 



The Schellengcr machine, toy an Ingemioais 

 and gentle method of handling apples, can 

 run about a carload of apples a day, if a 

 grower has enough hands to keep up with 

 the machine. The machine occupies a space 

 of 19 ft. 10 ins. by 8 ft. 31/2 ims. It may be 

 operated by an electric current or by a gaso- 

 line engine. We are using the same engine 

 that operates our gasoline spraying outnt. It 

 is very light running, requiring less than 

 one-half horse power to operate it. As our 

 motor is three and a half horse power, we 

 have to run the maohine very ,slowly, as the 

 grader operates better If only four apples 

 are passed to the gauges at a time at the 

 rate of 50 per minute. This is for medium- 

 sized apples. Larger varieties take a longer 

 lime, and smaller ones can pass quickly 

 through the feed-end. 



Oae man empties orchard boxes of apples, 

 or, ibetter, the very baskets in wliich the 

 apples are picked from the trees, thus avoid- 

 ing useless transfers. We have our grading 

 maohine right in the orchard, undeT a large 

 tent, and we use another tent to pack in. 

 As the grader cannot possibly sort wormy 

 apples, -we suppose that the modern orchard- 

 ist. having sprayed and thinned his fruit in 

 due time, the number of blemished and 

 wormy fruit will be easily seen by the men 

 sorting for color. 



The mTcaine is so designied and operated 

 that the reeding into the four rubber chutes 

 is do-LC automatically, thus permitting ilie 

 sorters to have an eye open to the sorting 

 alone. This sorting is done easily by two 

 men, one on each side of the feeder. With 

 an average orchard crop, two chutes are 



reserved for tha colored apples and the 

 other two far the less colored ones. No 

 culls are let thirough the machine; they are 

 picked up iby the sorters and thrown intx) 

 the cull barrel or box. In sorting, it is not 

 necessary to pick up an apple In the hand, 

 a glance is suftioiemt if one just rolls over 

 the apple on the canvas part of the feeder. 

 Fifty Uoies a minute four pockets ar 

 ru'bbep-lined gauges come into position a 

 few inches directly under the chutes. An 

 automatic trip drops one apple from the 

 end of each chute into the respective pocket, 

 in which it is carried along on an endless 

 chain (fig. 1). 



These pockets are formed by a circle of 

 haiagiug fingers which are squeezed together 

 at the bottom at the moment the pockety 

 are imder the chutes. As the pockets move 

 forward, the rings which hold the fingers 

 together slowly slip down and aUow the 

 ends of the fingers to gradually separate. 

 The apple settles down, witihout any ibruise 

 whatsoever, as the bottom opens, until it 

 slips through into a canvas and rolls down 

 upon cloth-lined bins or tables on either 

 side of the maohine, two chutes handlimg 

 apples on one side, and two others those on 

 the other side, thus having the colored 

 apples all on the one side. In this province 

 we do not have to bother about color in a 

 well pruned orchard, as Mcintosh, Fameuse, 

 Wealthy and Duchess are all well colored 

 varieties. Golden Russet not having to be 

 sorted at any time for color. 



As the carrier moves forward, the apples 

 are successdvely sorted in six different 

 sizes. Tbe farther down the carrier moves, 

 the wider the fingers open. This allows 

 larger-sized apples to be deposited in the 



right compartmemts. We have nimibered 

 ordhard boxes to correspond with each of 

 the sa$ divisions on the table. Tlie apples 

 taken firom the fourth division are put into 

 the same barrel or ibox, and the apples from 

 the fifth into another (barrel or box, and so 

 on. Once a box is full and not to be imme- 

 diately emptied into a barrel, they are 

 ti-ered up — all the number fours together, 

 and the numiber fives together, and so on. 

 Then there is no chance for mistakes. 



The maohine, I find after two years' ex- 

 perience, does not bruise the fruit. If there 

 are any apples that are bruised, it is either 

 in picking them in the trees and not taking 

 enough care during their transport to the 

 grader, or ithere is bruising caused in empty- 

 ing 'boxes or 'baskets upon tb© canvas feed- 

 ing table at the upper part of the machine. 

 We have avoided this bruising by using spe- 

 cJal baskets which we have made here in 

 osier, and which open by the bottom. 



If there ever was a machine that would 

 pay for itself by its work and in saving of 

 labor, this is one of them. Where enough 

 fruit is packed to warrant the investment, 

 I strongly advise its use. It is easily oper- 

 ated and very simple, and is easily put up 

 when it arrives in pieces, as the pieces are 

 ta.gged and numibered. 



It is reported that the Canadian Canners, 

 Ltd., has been formed with the object of 

 bringing order out of chaos in the canning 

 situation in Ontario. It is understood that 

 the new company will act in a holding ca- 

 pacity for the purpose of uniting the inter- 

 ests of about fifty of the large and small in- 

 dependents with those of the Dominion Can- 

 ners. The present arrangement is to last 

 for three years at least. The object is to 

 carry over stock now on hand, and to greatly 

 curtail the output of 1915. Price cutting is 

 to be eliminated. 



FRUIT BOXES 



IN 



Made-up and Knocked Down Form 



Highest prices are paid for 

 Apples, Pears and other 

 Fruits packed in boxes. 



Our modern equipped plants 

 ensure service, quality and 

 satisfaction. 



Prices on request. State 

 quantity. No charge for 

 printing. 



FIRSTBROOK BROS. 



LIMITED 



Toronto Ontario 



BOXES 



Get the highest prices. 



Pack your Apples, Pears, Peaches, 

 etc., in boxes. 



Let us quote you, knocked down 

 or made up. 



No charge for printing. 



Barchard & Co. Limited 



Pioneer Box Factory 



135-151 Duke St. ToKDiito, Ont. 



