PACKIXG APPLES. 61 



basVets into small boxes in tlie wagon. Excellent boxes 

 for this purpose are empty grocer's boxes wliicli will hold 

 about a bushel, or the contents of two baskets, and still 

 not be so full as to prevent other boxes being set on 

 them. A hole should be made in each end large enough 

 to admit the hand. Such boxes can be handled with 

 dispatch. From these the apples can be sorted into bar- 

 rels and the barrels can be headed up at leisure. It is 

 imperative that the ajjples should not rattle in the barrel 

 after it is headed. Apples shrink a little after they are 

 barrelled. They will usually sweat, also. Therefore, 

 delay the heading up for some days. The barrel should 

 be rather more than full when the head is put in. If 

 the ui)per layer of apples is considerably bruised, no 

 harm will result, especially if the head is soft wood, so 

 that the juice is readily absorbed. It is better to jam 

 these apples severely than to allow those in the interior 

 to rattle. If the heading is done in a building, a lever 

 press of simple construction does good work, but it re- 

 quires two men, one to press and one to adjust the head. 

 A lever press is nothing more than a lever under a girt 

 with the barrel for a fulcrum. The ordinary screw press 

 is troublesome. It persists in twisting to one side as soon 

 as strong pressure is applied. This may be remedied by 

 having the iron standards thick and stiff and by securing 

 a long set in which the screw shall work. If this set or 

 thread is four or five inches deep, and if the wooden 

 cross-bar in which it rests is correspondingly thick and 

 heavy and well secured to the iron standards, the press 

 should do good work. I have never seen such a press for 

 sale ; it must be made to order. 



