The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-01-23

not be complete without something
on the subject Of harvesting and pre-
pairing for the market, I will try to
tell you how we do This.
In the first place we use the pine
shocks for the reason than NO mat
ter how much bulge we get In our
boxes in packing, the ends never split
in taking box from press. In MAX
ing up our boxes we use the greatest
care to have the box perfectly made,
with all corners true. spaces evenly
divided, and nails driven straight.
All shocks that are anyways imper.
feet are laid aside to be made up
later for second grade apples. A
little care in this way, together with
having box end neatly printed by
the mill making them, adds much to
the appearance Of the package. We
use these boxes as field boxes to
bring in the apples as picked. A
picking crew with US consists OF
eight men divided into three gangs,
three ground men, two trestlemen,
two laddermen. and "a helper. We
pay our help good wages and insist
on having all apples Ono matter what
grade) handled as carefully as eggs.
The ground men go ahead and pick
direct into the boxes, and as our trees
are low headed they get over half
the apples. Trestlemen follow, each
being provided with a trestle about
20 inches high, and a galvanized
iron bucket with heck attached to
the bail. They get about one-half
of the apples remaining. They are
followed by the laddermen with H.
foot step ladders, who are provided
with buckets and waited ON by a
helper who takes down, empties and
hands up the buckets. But be i.
understood that no pouring is per-
mitted. The pail must be set down
and the apples removed by hand as a
grocer would remove eggs.
From the orchard the apples are
hauled to the packing shed. which
is located in one corner of the or
chard. There they are taken in
charge by grading crew Of four
men, where they are graded accord
ing to our agreement with buyer
This agreement varies slightly in diff
ferent seasons. For instance, this
last year, having sold our apples to
a firm Of exporters in New York, and
they wishing to divide the Spitz into
shipments for Hamburg anu Liver
pool, and knowing Lnat the German
preference is like that of the Yam
kee, for bright red apple. and the
English taste is for pale red or
yellow, we separated our fancy Spitz
into two grades, bright and pale.
Then we made a number two grade
at the same handling, so that the
graders work consists of a careful
inspection of each apple and separ-
ating them into the proper class.
Our fancy grades consits OF abso-
lutely perfect apples of good color
and without any blemish whatever,
and not less than two and a half
inches in diameter. These were our
exports.
Our No. grades consists Of good
sound apples, but they may be i'll
shaped, off color. limb chafed, have
worm sting in skin. but no worm
holes, and in size not less than two
and quarter inches in diameter.
For the past four years we have
sold this grade to western buyers,
who have placed them in Rocky
mountain towns. All apples not fit
for No. grade go into the off-grade
pile, where our neighboring farmers
and others are allowed to help them
selves at so cents sack, and what
is left We either make into vinegar
or feed to hogs.
From the graders the graded ap-
pies are carefully placer on packing
tables. of which we have two. These
tables are Trainer made Of 2x4 scant-
ling, 3x11 feet in size, covered with
20-oz. duck and arranged for four
packers at each table. For four
years our packers have worked IN
der the personal supervision of a
packing foreman in the employ Of
the buyers, the same man having
filled this position during that time.
1t is his work to instruct and direct
the packers, inspect the apples as
they come on the table and to in
spect each box before It leaves the
packing table for the mailing press.
In packing, the box is first lined with
paper. and a mat, of strawboard.
placed in the bottom. Then each
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