APPLES oat 
particularly examining the seed, as to 
when the fruit is ripe enough to pick. 
Some apples begin to tall as soon as they 
are ripe, and should be picked before they 
fall, because they are damaged in falling. 
A little observation and experience will 
teach persons at what time the different 
varieties of apples should be picked. 
The second question is, how to pick. 
There are various mechanical devices for 
picking They are generally unsatisfac- 
tory. Our observation is that picking 
should be done by hand, and that the hand 
should be carefully guided by intelligence 
so that the fruit may be picked at the 
right time and without bruising or break- 
ing the skin Generally, there should be 
more than one piching, since the apples 
ripen irregularly. At a time when one- 
third of the apples which are the earliest 
in developing, are ready for picking, per- 
haps another one-third should hang on the 
trees several days longer, and another one- 
third longer still. In order to obtain the 
best results, have the largest number of 
well-colored, well-flavored, and well-devel- 
oped apples, it is better to have two or 
three pickings. This costs more, but it 
more than pays the extra cost in the in- 
creased value of fruits. It is especially 
important to have pickers trained, if ap- 
ples are to be shipped and sold in fancy 
markets at high prices. Pickers should be 
trained so that they can pick the apples 
without bruising them, without denting 
them with the finger nails, without break- 
ing the skin by pulling off the stems, and 
without pulling the fruit spurs from the 
tree. If the fruit spurs are pulled off, 
there will be no more fruit on those spurs. 
Considerable controversy has arisen as 
to what is the best vessel to use in pick- 
ing. Baskets with padding on the bot- 
toms to prevent bruising, can be used, but 
they have been found to be somewhat 
cumbersome. Buckets are better, because 
it is easy to fasten them with hooks to 
the limbs of the tree, and thus be free to 
pick with both hands. Some use the ordi- 
nary galvanized iron pail. Others use a 
bucket with a canvas bottom so devised as 
to open at the bottom, allowing the apples 
to roll out without injury. Picking bags or 
aplons ale also in use These bags are 
so arranged as to swing around the neck, 
hanging down in front. They can be 
opened at the bottom tor emptying the 
fruit without bruising They are held 
open at the top by a wire so that it is easy 
to place the apples in them They are 
(losed at the bottom by a flap which folds 
up and is fastened to the side by means of 
a hook and a ring, so that it is easy to 
empty them into the boxes in which the 
apples are hauled from the orchard It is 
better to haul the fruit boxes on low- 
wheeled trucks or on sleds and to empty 
from the boxes on to assorting tables with 
Iig 1. This form of Picking Bucket 1s car- 
ried over the neck by a strap which 1s fur- 
ther equipped with a hook which may be 
used for hanging the bucket to a limb or the 
picking ladder. The bucket 1s designed to 
be placed with its load in an apple box. A 
catch 1s released which allows the bucket to 
part at the bottom, permitting the apples to 
roll out into the box without bruising. 
tops made of canvas. In case assorting 
machines are used especial provisions are 
made to prevent bruising. If apples are 
to be kept for the best markets, too much 
care cannot be exercised to prevent bruis- 
ing, and pickers should be trained to know 
how to do this work in the best way. If 
apples are bruised the keeping quality is 
impaired; if the stem is pulled out or the 
skin broken, fermentation and decay begin 
very soon. Bruised apples, or apples with 
the skin broken, belong with the culls, and 
very often apples that are otherwise of 
the very best quality and would bring the 
highest price in the market are thrown 
into the “cull pile’ because of a little care- 
lessness or indifference on the part of the 
