Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-11-26
LOSS IN PREPARING APPLES
Quite Considerable Amount Is Lost
by Improperly Picking and
Packing the Crop.
BY R. B. RusHING.l

NDI n. d. hO0hlN6.l
The best method l have ever tried Is
picking into baskets. These baskets
should be about half-bushel round
baskets with drop handles.
The baskets should be smooth on the
inside-that is, free from strips
around the inside or bottom. They
should be lined with burlap to pre-
vent bruising, and a short iron hook
should be attached to the handle to
suspend the basket from the limbs, so
as to enable the picker to use both
hands.
The great advantage in using the
basket l find lies largely In the fact
that If the apples are carefully placed
In the same they are not bruised.
The worst objections have to the
baskets are that they are not so handy
as the sack and that sometimes care
less pickers are disposed to toss ap-
pies into them as they set upon the
ground or hang upon a limb a few
feet away.
My experience is that apples packed
from the table and Immediately placed
in cold storage (lf they are to be put
into cold storage) will give by far the
better results.
This method adds two to four
months to the keeping qualities Of the
fruit.
You cannot afford to let your fruit
lie under the trees or in a building
for two or three weeks before you
barrel.
Every days delay In packing and
shipping will lose you money and quail.
ity in your fruit, and II you are not
the loser the party who buys It is.
Fruit grown In q warm latitude or
harvested during a warm September
or October must be quickly handled.
But when properly handled at picking
time, as have suggested, there will
not be much room for complaint.
A good barrel is essential II you
wish to store your fruit, have 1t keep
well and sell we'll. We suffer from
lack Of good cooperage.
A tight barrel Is the best, and the
better It Is made the better results
you will have. There will be less loss
from shrinkage Of fruit, from rats and
mice and other causes.
In my orchard l have eight picker!
and six sorters and barrelers In eacl
gang. A good strong table, construct
ed Of light, strong material, is pro
vided.
This table is set In the center Of II
trees; sometimes, II the fruit Il
scarce and the trees are very small
the table is set in the center Of Q,
or SO trees.
Four or six rows are carried forward
at once and the table Is moved alonj
the center rows and set In the middl,
Of the square at each move.
| usually have one man that nail
the hoops, the head liners, and take
out the heads Of barrels, as 1t prevent
loss in shipping and facilities in tn,
examination and inspection of fruit Il
storage.
If you have good fruit and It Is wort
money In the market to warran
you in so doing. you should make tw
grades; one a strictly No. 1 or fame
grade and another which will TAX
fruit that is slightly defective bu
good for immediate use, commonl
termed No. 2 in the market.
Usually 1t will pay as we'll or bette
to sell this No. 2 fruit to the evapC
rator or the cider mill instead Of pu
ting 1t In expensive barrels, and
this add the cost of freight and CON
missions, getting no more and perhap
not as much as you would have rel
lized In bulk.