New-York tribune., 1901-01-06

In an interview with Tribune reporter Mrs Alder
said:
AS regards the adaptability of my occupation TO
women, should say that while ii does not seem
particularly fitted TO them, there is no valid reason
why they should engage i'm it, The line of de-
marcation between mems and women's work, you
know is growing shadowy with the receding
years. Success in business ventures is not ques-
tion of Boards" but of business capacity.
Our orchard was not much planned as de-
veoped. In the pioneer days of Dakota we sold
large quantity of nursery stock. Many people who
ordered trees were unable to pay for them. and the
trees were left hands. These we planted
great pains to learn the varieties OF apples
best adapted TO climate. Among those which
hourished were the Wealthy, Duchess of Olden-
burg. Wbitney's No. 90 and crabs like Brier Sweet
wears ago we became convinced that the outlook
cial orchard. Our present orchard rs the result
different results but in travelling through Iowa.
Illinois and the Northern Middle states nave seen
no orchard showing smaller proportion OF missing
dying trees than our own one hundred acres;
this because of. but I'm spite Of climatic condi-
tOns. Our success Is largely due TO thorough cuiti
walton and the adaptability OF our varieties to
To meet the expense of caring for this extensive
orchard in the interim between its planting and its
first profitable harvest. the nursery business was
Although the orchard has outgrown these other
branches the strawberry garden, covering i've
acres with its irrigating plant insurins constant
our business The berries are picked by women and
children from the nearby village.
But little time elapses after the strawberry season
before the demand for the Duchess apple begins:
Not yet half grown. the apples are counted good
pie material and To supply the demand for them
overloaded trees thinned by hand and by the
wind. This Is phase of Orcharding and an item OF
women get together force of children TO
gather the fallen fruit. which has been safe from
injury because Of the low headed trees and soft
carpet OF mulch or clover beneath them. The chill
dren are employed by the hour pile the fruit 1t
sorted by older hands the largest and apples
being shipped I'm bushe boxes direct 20 the retail
trade or 20 commission houses.
The real business of the orchard begins about
pickers are children. the little ones climbing the
trees, while the older gather the ground
from stepladders. The Overseers. who
women. face the barrels and empty the picking
meanwhile. for second class and bruised fruit.
Each picker receives a number upon beginning
work, and the same number is placed
package filled by her. AS these barrels and boxes
removed to the storage house TO be headed
and made ready for market. an Overseer lists the
numbers, and on payday the basis OF settlement ls
the number of bushels picked by each The price
paid ranges from to cents bushel without
board. according TO variety and condition.
Forty pickers the largest number at work
at time during the last season.
There times when the handling of a crop
OF 5000 10000 bushels of apples in August and
September taxes our resources 20 the utmost. MY
daughter oversees the housekeeping which is NOT
numbers thirty people. attend to the harvesting
and marketing. Our select stock is shipped TO re-
tail dealers I'm cities and villages north and
OF They are sent directly from the farm or i'm
distributed Second quality fruit Is sent by wagon
loads 20 nearby villages, some fifteen hundred
bushels OF these having been disposed OF during
the last season