396 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
in New York state.* This is a canvas tray, made 
by stretching the cloth over a light wooden frame 
about three feet wide and four or five feet long. 
At the bottom, the frame projects upwards at right 
angles to the body of the frame to a dis- 
tanee of five or six inches, to catch the ber- 
ries as they fall upon the canvas. A wooden 
shoe or runner is plaved on the bottom of the 
apparatus, to allow the operator to slide it 
along from bush to bush, as shown in Fig. 85, 
A long wire hook (Fig. 86) is used to pull 
the bfshes over the tray or to lift up the 
fallen canes, whilst with the other hand the 
operator deftly cuffs off the berries with a 
paddle of wood or of wire covered with ean- 
vas and about the size of a butter ladle. 
The harvester is used only for the gath- 
ering of berries which are to be evaporated, 
The berries are allowed to become fully ripe, 
so that they fall easily, and the 
a. patch is gone over about three 
times. Much litter falls with the 
Fig 86. Batter's hook. yerpies, but this is readily re- 
moved by running the dried fruit through a fanning 
mill. There are few growers who use this harvester 
exclusively. It is often brought into requisition for 
the last picking, or in seasons of low prices, and it 
also has a most stimulating effect upon a lot of dis- 
affected berry pickers. The device was first perfected 
by Mr. Benedict, of Dundee, New York, although 
* Bulletin 100, Cornell Exp. Sta. 
