Vol. LIV. No. 2382. 
NEW YORK, SEPTEMBER 21, 1895. 
11.00 PER YEAR. 
“A GEORGIA PEACH.” 
HOW IT IS PLANTED, PROTECTED, PICKED AND PACKED. 
[editorial correspondence.] 
Part III. 
The Packing of a Peach. 
We left our basket of peaches on the low-down 
wagon, headed for the packing shed. The exterior of 
this shed was shown on page 597. This week, at Fig. 
197, is shown the interior with the packers on dress 
parade. You will notice that the main building has 
two stories—the upper one being used for preparing 
crates and baskets, and storing them. Around this 
building runs a shed roof wide enough to permit a 
wagon load of peaches to be driven all around if need 
be. The packers stand in two long rows facing to 
the outside of the building, and with the wide alley 
back of them. 
As the wagon reaches the shed, the baskets of 
peaches are 
quickly re¬ 
moved, and 
placed on the 
packing house 
floor, which is 
raised to about 
the level of the 
wagon. The 
sorters stand 
facing the pack¬ 
ers outside of 
the boxes, as 
shown in the 
picture. Their 
duty is to sort 
the perfect 
peaches into 
two sizes, plac¬ 
ing them in 
canvas-bot¬ 
tomed boxes in 
front of the 
packers. In 
some orchards, 
machine sort¬ 
ers are used for 
this purpose, 
but Mr. Hale 
does not like 
them. They 
are sure to 
bruise the fruit 
more or less, 
and that always 
means a defect 
after a long journey to market. As it costs $500 to 
put a car-load of these peaches into the northern 
market, there is no use trying to pay such freight on 
inferior fruit. Only two sizes are sent North. Many 
of the small or blemished peaches are sold to a local 
canning factory, while overripe or wormy fruit is fed 
to the hogs. In some orchards, these inferior peaches 
are made into a thick, “powerful” liquid, called 
“ peach cider,” which is said to find ready sale in the 
“ dry ” counties. Peach pork seems a good deal more 
useful than peach “cider.” 
You can see from the picture that the packers stand 
facing the sorters. The peaches are packed in baskets 
—six of which tit into a crate. Skillful fingers quickly 
and neatly arrange the fruit, so that it will show its 
color and size to perfection. There are no little ones 
at the bottom, because they are so carefully graded 
that there is really no difference in size. “ U. C. Top 
U. C. all,” is the statement that goes on every crate 
and basket—the design being to guarantee uniformity 
of size and quality so far as possible. 
The big showy label is printed in white letters o$ 
red paper, and is carefully pasted on each crate and 
basket. Only the whitest and best wood is used in 
making these packages—many of them being rejected 
on account of knot holes or discolored wood. At the 
Connecticut orchard, a special wood is used for pack¬ 
ages—as white as paper. The red label is used because 
it is neater than the ordinary stencil, while it also 
attracts attention in the market, and advertises the 
peaches. There are many growers who say that this 
is all needless expense, and that it will not pay. Mr. 
Hale thinks otherwise, and will continue it. 
Circling among the packers are a number of inspect¬ 
ors who watch carefully, and, so far as possible, pre¬ 
vent careless packing or mixing of the two sizes. 
People from all over the country were gathered in 
that shed. Men who had packed peaches in California, 
Florida “ freeze-outs ” who were glad to work by the 
day while their frosted groves were growing—people 
of all States and conditions, hard at work, and glad 
to sell their services for cash. It was a busy scene. 
Load after load of peaches drove up to the back of the 
shed, and with machine-like regularity found their 
way through handlers, sorters, packers and inspect¬ 
ors, until the crate was nailed up and started for the 
station. From the floor above, a stream of empty 
crates was sent down by stalwart colored men. The air 
was full of cries of “Peaches!” “Crates!” “ Take it 
away ! ” “ Covers ! ” and numberless other trade cries. 
One can imagine the method and the energy needed 
to push that work along when we learn that during 
the season over 60,000 crates of peaches were passed 
through this shed. That means 360 000 baskets, or 
more than 12,600,000 single peaches, each of which 
was handled three times—by picker, sorter and packer. 
Here was the most hopeful view of the “New 
South” one is likely to find. The workers were almost 
entirely young men and women, who were born and 
reared in the South. They were all Americans, with 
ancestry running back through half a dozen genera¬ 
tions of American life. There were college students 
and graduates—men and women of the best breeding 
and culture, happy in the new sensation of exchang¬ 
ing their honest labor for cash. That article is alto¬ 
gether too scarce at the South. There is no easier place 
in which to earn food, drink and shelter, but more cash 
is needed with which to buy the pleasant things of 
life. All these young men and women needed in their 
homes articles of comfort or luxury that would make 
life broader and sweeter. That was what led them 
on fairly to offer their services in exchange for cash, 
and feel no shame in making the exchange. Men and 
women of the old-time regime came and gazed at this 
busy scene. There was, to me, a note of sadness in 
their voices as they put on a brave face and sought 
words of praise for the new departure. It upset all 
the logic and prophecies of their youth, and opened 
a new day in which they were to have little part. 
These young men and women had grown away from 
the old ideas of labor, and would never come back. 
That is destiny—it is right. I wish to say that, not 
only were these 
white peach 
workers Ameri¬ 
cans, but they 
were the best¬ 
looking lot of 
American 
workers I ever 
saw. I have 
never seen a 
group of 75 
women and 
girls that were 
prettier, neater 
or fresher-look¬ 
ing than those 
who packed 
these peaches. 
Now let us 
for a time leave 
the peaches, 
and refer to 
another pro¬ 
posed branch of 
the enterprise. 
I n connection 
with the or¬ 
chard is a large 
acreage of nurs- 
e r y s t o c k— 
largely plums. 
This was start¬ 
ed as a sort of 
side issue, to 
help pay for 
the orchard 
while the peach trees were growing. Its results, how¬ 
ever, have given indications that may lead to a new 
departure, viz., the growing of .Japan plums. 
I asked Mr. Hale this question : “ What fruits do 
best as nursera stock here at the South ?” 
He said : “ Nearly all kinds of nursery stock can be 
grown fully as well and far more cheaply here than 
at the North, but for ease of propagation, and vigor¬ 
ous, healthy growth, peaches, plums and Oriental 
pears are the most freely grown. Peaches may be 
budded here at any time from early June until Octo¬ 
ber, and may be grafted during the three winter 
months. By using terminal buds for grafting, per¬ 
fectly straight trees may be grown, which are beau¬ 
ties. Peaches and Japan plums, budded in June or 
July, will make a growth of two to four feet, while 
those put in later and left dormant, will make a 
growth of from four to eight feet in one year; while 
a block of Japan plums one year old, will average 
seven feet high, and three-quarters of an inch in 
diameter. Many of the trees will grow from eight to 
12 feet in height, and be from Qne to inch in diam* 
A VIEW INSIDE THE PACKING SHED. THE PACKERS ON DRESS PARADE. Fig. 197. 
