PACKING APPLES. 59 
Northern Spys to keep so well as when picked near the 
middle of October, after half the leaves had fallen. 
Professor Lazenby reports an experiment in picking Bald- 
wins at different stages of maturity. Those picked early 
kept long, but wilted. Those picked when fully ma- 
tured kept well and were excellent in quality. Those 
picked late kept poorly. 
CHAPTER XVI. 
PACKING APPLES. 
It matters little how thoroughly the grower may have 
cared for his trees and growing fruit, if he does not exer- 
cise the same or even more scrupulous care in the hand- 
ling and marketing of his crop he will fail to obtain a 
profit. Care in harvesting and marketing is fully equiv- 
alent, probably much more than equivalent, to all the 
other labors of the year combined. Still, it is a patent 
fault with our orchardists that this part of their business 
is not studied closely. 
Apples must be handled with care. ‘‘ Handle apples 
as you would handle eggs,” is good advice. Do not shake 
them from the tree. When a basket is handed down- 
from the tree another is returned, while the apples in 
the basket are sorted. The sorting is easily done by havy- 
ing an empty basket at one hand into which the choice 
apples are placed, while the culls are placed in a pile on 
the ground. An experienced man. can sort rapidly and 
accurately. The choice apples are commonly placed di- 
