324 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
the women and girls the job of picking 
from the lower branches, which they can 
reach from the ground or from short step 
ladders. The fruit on the upper branches 
can be picked by another crew working 
on taller ladders. 
The ladder should never be leaned into 
the tree if it is possible to avoid it. Fruit 
Fig. 5. Portable Orchard Ladder, Folded. 
spurs often cover the ground under such 
conditions, and not only is the crop for 
the succeeding year damaged, but open- 
ings for disease are left in the tree itself. 
The act of picking is a very simple one. 
A simple twisting movement up and down 
on the fruit removes it from the spur 
without loss of stem, and this easy re- 
moval is usually a fair indication of the 
maturity of the fruit. There are some 
special varieties, notably the Ortley apple, 
which very often, though mature, break 
their stems and puncture the fruit, if 
not carefully handled. The stem may be 
broken without hurting the salability of 
the fruit but should never puncture the 
skin or be pulled out of its socket. 
Picking Pails 
The receptacle selected for picking 
should prevent all bruising, as far as pos- 
. 
sible, and should give ease in handling. 
Theoretically, it would seem that bags. or 
canvas bottom pails would be the best 
for picking, but, practically, such is not 
the case. There is a bad tendency among 
pickers to let the fruit fall into the re- 
ceptacle and, unless this fruit can be 
heard by the foreman as it falls, there is 
no way to prevent consequent injury. 
Bags allow the fruit to be damaged by 
not protecting it against bruising when 
coming in contact with ladder or tree. 
When the bottomless bags are used the 
pickers very frequently will allow the 
fruit to shoot into the field box when 
emptying, thus causing damage. 
A galvanized pail about ten inches high 
and narrow enough to fit down into the 
apple box when it is emptied, so that the 
apples can be poured into the box. very 
carefully without bruising, is a good one 
for this purpose. Such a pail should have 
a hook attached to the bail for hanging 
on the ladder or tree limb. Several so- 
called bottomless pails have been con- 
structed of galvanized iron, or tin, which 
allow the fruit to be emptied into the 
bottom of the box and the pail to be lifted 
without rolling or bruising the fruit. 
Some of these pails have merit, and, 
where not too expensive, should be money: 
savers for the grower. In the case of 
peaches and plums and other stone fruits, 
shallow pails or baskets should be used, 
as these fruits bruise easily when piled 
one upon the other to any depth. 
Fig. 6. Portable Orchard Ladder Ready for Use. The run- 
ning board enables the picker to cover a wider range 
than would be possible with the ordinary step ladder. 
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