4 BULLETIN 1261, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
the crew foreman supplemented by a daily inspection by the general 
field foreman, who is responsible for the work of all crews employed 
by the association. These inspections are necessary, because of the 
minute character of some injuries which would later cause decay. 
Orchards are generally picked in rotation to avoid the transfer of 
crews and equipment over long distances. If a giower does not wish 
to have his fruit picked at the time allotted to him in the schedule, he 
must wait until the crew has completed the round. Three pickings of 
oranges are usually made. At the first picking, such oranges as show 
Fig. 2.— The cooperative associations have taken a leading part in preventing decay of citrus fruit 
by careful handling in the orchards 
desirable size and color are removed from the trees. The second 
picking takes the greater part of the crop, leaving only such oranges 
as are still undersized. These are picked later. 
The situation is somewhat different with lemons. Lemons are 
harvested every month of the year, although the heaviest yields are 
obtained during the fall and winter. Fruit of the most desirable 
quality is that which is picked while still green. Lemons are there- 
fore picked as soon as they attain a desirable size. Each pickei is 
furnished with a ring of the required diameter and he picks all lemons 
