BUD VARIATION IN THE WASHINGTON NAVEL ORANGE. 



11 



in. order to avoid possible errors which might be made by inexperi- 

 enced pickers. Each tree is picked separately and its crop assembled 

 at its base until needed for examination (see fig. 4). 



ASSORTING . 



All of the oranges picked during the day usually are examined 

 that day, so as to avoid all possible injury to or changes in the fruit 

 due to exposure. The fruits from each tree are assorted into three 

 grades: An Orchard (or first) grade including all merchantable 

 oranges which show no marked blemishes or other conditions de- 

 tracting from their commercial value; a Standard (or second) grade, 



Fig. 2.- 



-Apparatus used in obtaining investigational performance-record data from individual orange trees. 



including blemished and misshapen fruits and those of inferior 

 appearance but of sufficient value for shipment; and Culls, or such 

 fruits as are wholly unfit for the market. In addition to these grades 

 a record is kept of all of the strikingly variable fruits, particularly 

 those resembling the various strains of the Washington Navel orange 

 and others showing marked characteristics apparently due to bud 

 variability. 



The orchard and standard grades are assorted into the 10 sizes most 

 commonly used commercially. This work is done mechanically by 

 means of a small specially constructed rope and roller sizing machine, 

 as shown in figure 2. It is similar in operation to the regular packing- 

 house machines used for this purpose, but adapted for orchard use. 



