i 7 8 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAI, SOCIETY 
they were nicely packed throughout the barrel. The machine was very 
crude but there was no difficulty at the center of the barrel or at either 
end; and so far as picking out the culls is concerned, that is done very 
easily, because the apples are carried one by one. The machine moves 
slowly, and one standing beside it he can easily discover the poorer ones and 
remove them. 
Mr. Burton: What machine is it? 
Mr. Mann : It is the original and as far as I know the only one of these 
machines. The sorting is done over a series of rings; these are carried 
over rolls, and the apples are first poured on to moving belts and go from 
one series of rings to another according to the size of fruit you may want. 
I graded the smaller size, two and one-eighth inches, and put those between 
two and one-eighth and two and one-half inches into the smaller grade. 
This was in accordance with my idea; a two-inch apple seems rather small 
to me and I adjusted it that way to suit me. I am for the two and one- 
eighth inch idea and I find that it can be put through satisfactorily. I 
suggested it to the dealer that handled them, and he was glad to have it so. 
And it made a very satisfactory grade of fruit. 
The chief difference the machine makes, is that I can use ordinary men 
as pickers; use the same kind of help in the packing house and turn out 
a first-class pack. We use a gang of five to seven men in the packing house 
and they put up about fifty or sixty barrels an hour. 
Question: What effect did this have on the condition of the apples; 
did it bruise them? 
Mr. Mann: Not as much as the old way of packing and sorting them. 
Question: Does the fruit drop on the roller or the belt? 
Mr. Mann: It drops on the belt which is moving, though not very 
fast; it does not injure it to drop, for there is absolutely no bruising. It 
does not strike the wood at any point. The movement of thei machine 
is slow so as to avoid bruising; if it moved rapidly then of course there 
would be bruising perhaps. 
Professor Lewis: I am very much interested in this discussion, be- 
cause while we pack our apples in boxes, the principle of the packing and 
grading is about the same as when packed in barrels. I am interested in 
this, however, for our trend on the Pacific Coast is directly away from the 
trend you are now preaching here in the East, that is, as to the grading to 
size. I think the time is not very far distant on the Pacific Coast when 
size will be a very little factor in our grading. It will only be a factor 
in that it controls the size of the fruit in an individual package, but you will 
have to put the same range of size in your firsts as you have in your seconds. 
We are grading our apples on the basis of color and freedom from 
blemish, regardless of size; and apples that are free from blemish and have 
high color will go into the first grade, with the exception of apples with 
defects on either end. Why? For this reason: If you will check up the 
apple market for the last ten years you will find that the apples do not 
sell according to size; that a certain market may take a size this year, and 
next year it will not take that same size. Yellow Newtown certain years 
will demand and net you more for a three and one-half, and then the next 
