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apples thus packed generally bring 15 to 25 cents more a 

 barrel, because, as a rule, the work is done better. Then, too, 

 if the apples are brought immediately to a central packing 

 house, they generally have an opportunity to become cool 

 before they are placed in the barrels. This adds to their keep- 

 ing qualities very materially. If the varieties are in large, 

 compact blocks in the orchard, and the packing shed is quite 

 a long distance away, it undoubtedly is cheaper tb pack the 

 apples in the field. In this case, one needs no field receptacles, 

 as the pickers can empty their baskets directly upon the sort- 

 ing table. When the packing-shed plan is followed, cheap but 

 firm barrels are probably the best field receptacles. These 

 should be filled not more than four-fifths full; A low-down 

 spring wagon, with a broad platform and broad wheels which 

 will turn in under the platform, should be used. Bolster 

 springs have been placed upon the market. By using these 

 spririgs almost any wagon may be made suitable for orchard 

 use. Fruit hauled on such a wagon will be bruised but very 

 little. Large market express wagons are used in eastern 

 Massachusetts for hauling apples to the packing shed or 

 storage. 



SiZEES. 



Sizers, or graders as they are oftentimes erroneously called, 

 are to be found on most of the larger fruit farms in the State. 

 ReJ)orts received from the manufacturers and dealers of sizers 

 show that there are between fifty and sixty in the State at 

 present and they are increasing at the rate of about thirty 

 each year. 



The sizers are of several different types, but the two most 

 common opes are shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The machines do very 

 excellent work in sizing all varieties of apples, peaches and 

 pears. One may run over each hand machine about four 

 hundred fifty bushels daily. It is an easy matter to adjust the 

 machines to grade different varieties of fruit to sizes desired. 

 They give three to five sizes, and size the apples with very little 

 error. Such outfits usually pay for themselves in one season in 

 saving of labor where one has many apples to size, grade and 

 pack. 



