60 FIELD NOTES ON APPLE CULTURE. 
rectly in the barrel. Only clean barrels should be used. 
Old flour barrels, unless carefully washed and dried, will 
usually impart a musty flavor to the fruit before mid- 
winter, especially if the air in the storage cellar is moist. 
The first apples which are put in market barrels should 
be “‘ faced.” The facing consists in placing two or three 
layers on the lower head with stems down—that is, with 
stems pointing towards the head. Clean, bright apples 
of ordinary size should be selected for this purpose. The 
rest of the apples may be poured into the barrels. This 
pouring, if properly done, will not injure the apples. 
Eggs can be poured. Use a basket with a swinging 
handle, one which can be lowered into the barrel and 
turned while there, and hold the apples back with the 
hand so that they will not pour out too rapidly. Two 
or three times during the filling, shake the barrel gently 
to settle the apples firmly. Face the upper head in the 
same manner as the lower one. It is desirable not to 
head up the barrel at once. Cover with boards to keep 
out rain, and let the barrels stand open four or five days. 
It is not always possible to cover the barrels, however, in 
which case they may be headed up at once and turned 
down on their sides. In this position they will shed 
water. Thus far I have spoken of packing out of doors. 
The best results are always secured under cover. A 
cheap shed which will not leak is sufficient. It should 
be erected in a cool and shady place, as on the north side 
of a building. The apples can then be carted to the shed 
in the baskets, just as they come from the tree, in a 
spring wagon. If baskets cannot be had in sufficient 
quantity, the apples can be emptied from the pickers’ 
