12 BULLETIN 623, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The culls are not assorted in any way, but an explanation of the 

 presence of any unusual number of them is noted. All of the fruits, 

 including the drops on the ground under the trees, are secured by 

 the pickers, those showing decay being kept in a separate box in 

 order to avoid the spread of diseases to the sound fruits. 



WEIGHING. 



The fruits of each size in both the orchard and standard grades 

 are weighed on ordinary small platform scales adapted for this 

 purpose (fig. 2). Great care is used to secure accurate weights, 

 inasmuch as under orchard conditions unusual precautions must 

 be taken to avoid errors through the variable weights of fruit con- 

 tainers, frequent changes in the location of the scales, and other 

 causes. The culls are weighed and counted collectively. 



COUNTING. 



After weighing, the fruits of each size in the orchard and standard 

 grades are counted carefully and the numbers recorded in the proper 

 places in the field performance-record forms. During the counting 

 the fruits of variable strains and others of special interest are set 

 aside for later classification and study. 



RECORDING DATA. 



The forms used in the orchard for recording the individual-tree 

 performance-record data are shown in Table I. These forms are 

 printed on both sides of sheets 6^ by 4 inches in size, which are bound 

 50 in a book, a size convenient for field use. As soon as possible 

 these records are transferred to annual sheets (see first part of Tables 

 VII to IX), on which the data are summarized to show the total 

 crop of each tree for the year. These summaries are in turn trans- 

 ferred to period forms (see Tables VIII and XII), on which the 

 records for six years can be assembled for comparison and study. 

 These two last-mentioned forms are printed on sheets 8 by 10| 

 inches in size, arranged for binding in loose-leaf covers. 



The value of all performance-record data depends upon the 

 accuracy with which it is secured and recorded. Too much emphasis 

 can not be placed on the necessity for the adoption of all possible 

 safeguards to insure the reliability of the data. A regular method 

 of procedure in weighing and counting the fruits and recording 

 the data has been adopted and adhered to in all the investigational 

 work. Freedom from interruption is of primary importance, because 

 any distraction from this work is likely to cause errors. It is also 

 desirable that as far as possible the same person should secure the 

 records on all the trees in any given plat for the entire season, and 

 preferably for the entire period of the investigations. As soon as 

 the fruit is examined and the necessary records secured it is hauled 



