28 



BULLETIN 446, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



HAUUNG APPLES TO PACKING SHED. 



Prior to and during the picking season empty boxes are hauled and 

 scattered at convenient places for the pickers throughout the orchard. 

 The boxes in which the apples are placed to be hauled to the packing 

 shed are the same or similar to the ones in which the apples are packed. 

 A wagon or sled with one or two horses is used in hauling the boxes 

 to and from the orchards. A crew oi 1 man and 1 or 2 horses is 

 generally used for hauling the apples. (See Table XXII.) 



Table XXII. — Cost of hauling to packing house under different methods. 



A.— SLED. 



Number of— 



Hours 

 per load. 



Loose 

 boxes 

 per load. 



Cost per 



packed 



box. 



Men. 



Horses. 



1 

 1 



2 

 1 



0.54 

 .403 



30.2 

 15.6 



$0. 0147 

 .0155 



B.— WAGON. 



1 



1 



2 ■ 



1 



.0.745 

 .675 



42.2 

 29.5 



SO. 0146 

 .0137 



1 



Regardless of crew with wagon or sled, the cost per packed box of 

 hauling boxes to and from the orchard is $0.0144. 



PACKING. 



All apples are usually packed in a packing house, a barn, or a shed 

 ordinarily used for. other purposes. (See fig. 6.) But little sorting, 

 grading, and packing is done in the" orchard. All fruit is packed as 

 soon as possible after it is picked. An occasional grower may store 

 a few of the late varieties in a cool place and pack them during the 

 winter. 



The size of the crew employed in the packing is usually governed by 

 the size of the crop. As most of the orchards are small, much of the 

 work is done by the orchardist and members of his family. Where 

 the orchards and crops are large it is necessary to employ several 

 sorters and packers, with the necessary additional help. In the larger 

 packing houses there are usually employed men whose duty it is to 

 supply the packers and sorters with boxes, paper, and fruit, and to 

 carry away the packed boxes. These "waiters" deliver the fruit to a 

 man, who nails and stamps the box. Where there are a small number 

 of packers and sorters one man may wait on the packers and do the 

 nailing. 



