FRUIT HARVESTING OPERATIONS pes} 
the fruit is carefully handled, the bad or bruised ones will 
be very few and can be easily thrown out when the grad- 
ing is done. It is now customary to place all of the 
fruit, as fast as it is picked, in either barrels or boxes 
and then remove it 
immediately to stor- 
age or to the packing- 
house. 
The western people 
favor the box (Fig. 
11). If they do not 
care to take the regu- 
lar packing-box into 
the field, they provide 
what is known as the 
“Tag”? box holding 
about 50 pounds each. 
Fruit is put into 
these, placed on a low 
wagon (Fig. 12), and 
taken immediately 
to the packing-house. 
It is then packed di- 
rect from these boxes, Fig. 10. TYPE OF PICKING LADDER 
hence no pouring, or USED IN THE NORTH WESTERN U. S. 
little handling of the 
fruit is necessary. The Eastern fruit growers are gradu- 
ally adopting the box method, and in a few years it is 
probable that the barrels will be largely replaced by boxes. 
However, the barrel can be used to good advantage, and 
is quite a convenient receptacle in which to move the 
apples from the orchard to the packing-house. As soon 
