292 The Commercial Apple Industry 



1. One of the most valuable guides in determining the 

 time of picking is the ease with which the apple separates 

 from the spur. Much damage can be done if the apples 

 are picked too soon, for in such circumstances the picker 

 will probably destroy or break off many fruit-spurs. 

 The grower must sacrifice size if the fruit separates readily 

 from the spur, otherwise he may suffer from heavy drop- 

 ping or over-maturity of the fruit. 



2. In most cases, the amount of color is the grower's 

 guide in determining time of picking. In this connection 

 it should be remembered that in bright seasons the apples 

 have a tendency to color early and for that reason there is 

 the danger of picking too soon. In damp cloudy weather, 

 coloring may be checked and under such conditions there 

 is danger of waiting too long before harvesting. Very 

 often two pickings are advisable for such highly colored 

 varieties as Winesaps. If the better colored specimens 

 are harvested in the first picking, the remaining poorly 

 colored apples will benefit by greater exposure to the sun- 

 light. It must be remembered that an added picking rep- 

 resents a considerable expense warranted only in the case 

 of high quality crops, when the added color and size mean 

 a considerable increased price for the product. Investi- 

 gations l have revealed that in the case of red apples the 

 ground color which underlies the red color or blush is the 

 most reliable indication of maturity. In immature fruits 

 this color is green. Before the apples are ready to pick, 

 the ground color should have turned to a white or very 

 light yellow. The dark yellow ground color indicates 

 over-maturity. The very common mistake of leaving such 



i Bull. 587, U. S. Dept. Agr, 



