326 
Fig. 9. 
Showing type of orchard ladders, 
Picking Scene in Rogue River Valley. 
picking 
buckets and lug boxes in use in the orchard 
of Mr. W. . V. Campbell. The picking 
bucket is the canvas bottom type. 
Orchard Trucks 
Orchard trucks should be low for ease 
in loading; should be easy riding; and 
preferably should have a cross reach so 
that the rear wheels follow in the track 
of the front wheels in turning sharp 
angles. 
C. I. LEwIs, 
Corvallis, Oregon. 
Date of Picking and Size of Apples 
H. H. Braggins, of Cashmere, Wash., 
has made some experiments in picking in 
which he reaches the following -conclu- 
sions: “There has been considerable talk 
about picking the largest and best Jon- 
athan and King David apples from the 
18th to the 28th of August in order that 
the apples remaining on the tree may 
have a better chance to grow larger. 1 
had doubts if it would be profitable for 
several reasons, provided the apples were 
properly thinned in June. One reason 
was that it costs two to three times as 
much to pick a box of apples where you 
only pick one here and there, as it does 
where you can pick them all in one or 
two pickings. Another reason is that you 
are liable to bruise and mar the apples, 
more or less, that are to remain on the 
tree. This bruising is done mostly with 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
the ladder. On August 18, I had a num- 
ber of apples measured, a tag tied on the 
stem of the apple and the date and cir- 
cumference written on it. When we 
picked the apples we measured them and 
marked the results on the tag: We found 
that the Jonathans averaged a little more 
than 1%. inches in circumference more 
than when first measured. The Rome 
Beauties measured 134 inches more than 
when first measured. 
“The Winesaps averaged a growth of 
1% inches more. It will be noted that 
the later varieties made the largest 
growth, because they had from one to 
three weeks longer to grow. Apples that 
will pack from 138-163 per box in August 
with a growth of from 144 to 1% inches 
larger later in the season, will bring 15 
to 25 cents per box more. Does the apple 
remaining on -the tree have enough 
greater growth to make up for the loss 
on those picked early?” 
The grower in this case would not only 
have more boxes of apples on account of 
the larger size of the apples but he would 
have apples which are worth more per 
box. If there were no loss from falling 
apples to counterbalance these gains, it 
would pay to leave the apples on longer. 
—Ed. 
PACKING OR PREPARING APPLES 
FOR MARKET ~ 
FRANK §S. KINSEY 
PACKAGES 
As in marketing other farm. products, 
two methods are used in marketing ap- 
ples. One is handling in bulk, where, if 
any receptacle is used, it is retained by 
the seller; the other, handling in pack- 
ages which go with the apples, constitut- 
ing “gift” packages. The present exten- 
Sive use of the latter method is the re- 
sult of modern transportation and _ stor- 
age facilities, which have made the apple 
a profitable article of commerce. What- 
ever qualities a successful apple or other 
fruit package may possess, it must have 
cheapness, neatness, lightness, a certain 
amount of durability, and uniformity. 
Three forms of package are in use for 
apples—the basket, the barrel and the 
box. 
