CHAPTER II 
PREPARING THE FRUITS FOR MARKET 
The Packing-House.—Almost all fruits are arranged 
for market in some kind of a packing-house, and this is 
usually necessary. Fruit ought not to be exposed to 
the sun during the day and, in the Northern states, 
where apples are harvested late, they must be protected 
at night from extreme and varying temperatures. This 
may best be done in a specially designed packing-house. 
For small fruits in the Northern states, and for some 
of the tree-fruits in the South, the only packing-house 
that is necessary is four posts set up in the orchard, 
with a wood or canvas roof to keep out the sun and give 
a comfortable place for the workmen to grade and pack 
the fruit. The old practice of packing fruit, especially 
epples, in dark cellars under dwellings, is decidedly 
unpractical. In the first place, they are always dark 
and usually damp and uncomfortable places for the 
men to work; besides large quantities of fruit stored 
under a residence is not good for the health of the 
family living above. 
‘Where more than 30 or 40 barrels of fruit are to be 
harvested and stored, some kind of a special cellar and 
packing-house is provided. In large orchards these 
raay be erected in the orchard itself. In other places 
it is put up near the other buildings of the farm, mak- 
ing it convenient to the residence and so far as possible 
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