2 HARVESTING, STORING, AND MARKETING 



Operations : 



1. Picking. 



2. Packing. 



3. Determining harvesting marketing costs. 



4. Storing. 



5. Marketing. 



In some seasons and in some sections the grower may not 

 himself assume responsibility for all these factors. Before he 

 can decide whether or at what stage he should turn the matter 

 over to others, he must know what is involved in carrying 

 through the complete program himself. 



1. Picking. Once the fruit is ready to pick there is no 

 time for matters that should have received attention earlier. 

 The product is perishable. It must not remain too long on the 

 trees for it will spoil or freeze. It must not drop to the ground 

 for it will bruise. The time when it is at its best for handling 

 is short. 



Procedure: 



(a) Estimating the yield. 



(b) Providing adequate equipment. 



(c) Securing an adequate supply of labor. 



(d) Determining the proper time for picking. 



(e) Picking the crop. 



(a) Estimating the Yield, Many growers and buyers at- 

 tain great proficiency in estimating yields while the fruit is 

 still on the trees. This faculty comes only as a result of prac- 

 tice based on careful study of the trees and a knowledge of the 

 bearing habits of varieties. For instance, a Tompkins King 

 tree seldom measures up in performance to its apparent prom- 

 ise. It '^shows up/' for all and more than it is worth. On the 

 other hand, Mcintosh and York Imperial, which bear all 

 through the top, will habitually do better than they promise. 



Yields per tree or per acre vary with many factors. Among 

 these are age and variety, number of trees per acre, methods of 

 management, and the region itself. 



