Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1912-08-08
REPORTER AND FARMER
THURSDAY. AUGUST s. 1912
FORESIGHT ON FRUIT FARM.
Useful Hints on Keeping Busy During
Otherwise Idle Season.

Otherwise Idle Season.
The fruit grower is often confronted
by the problem of providing profitable
labor for his employees during the
winter. Without cattle or other live
stock on the place it is often hard to
provide such work. Since good help
Is becoming more scarce each year on
The fruit farms, 1t mean a good deal
TO be able to hold laborers over from
n season to another.
On the farm which Is so fortunate
as to be provided with a small work
shop many days may be proftably
spent In repairing and olling the har-
nesses, making orchard whifietrees,
painting and repairing all the tools,
wagons and farm machinery. All
spraying machinery should be com
pletely overhauled for the coming
season. The packing Of all the pumps
should be renewed. The engine should
be thoroughly examined, all the badly
worn parts should be replaced, and 1t
should be oiled well to prevent rust
ing. Much time is lost by farmers
during the rush Of spring work
through failure to overhaul their ma
chinery during the winter. All the
small tools should also be carefully
examined. Axes, scythes, mowers,
hoes, shovels, etc, should be repaired
and sharpened, for good sharp tools
increase the efficiency and rapidity Of
labor and therefore decrease the cost.
Paint is n great preservative Of tools
and especially Of wagons. To give
them once a year n coat of paint we'll
rubbed In Is as good an investment rs
a farmer can make. His equipment
will then not only look more respecta-
bic, but will last much longer.
Many fruit growers during the past
season have experienced difficulty In
obtaining packages for their fruit dur
Ing the harvesting period. Strawberry
crates and boxes are always scarce
during the picking season. Apple
barrels and grape baskets are just as
difficult to obtain In the fall, and the
demand for packages at these times
causes the price to be higher.
Why not eliminate vexation and ex-
pense by buying the packages knock
ed down" or " In the fiat" during the
Winter when the prices are more rea-
sonable and the laborers may be prof
ftably employed In making them up?
One not only can save much by this
procedure, but the packages will then
be at hand ready for the harvesting.
Berry crates and boxes may be made
up and packed away for the spring.
Grape baskets may be bought, and the
handles may be nailed on at this time
instead of in the fall. Apple boxes, II
used for packing this fruit, may also
be made up during these months and
set away for the fall.
In some states the barrel is still
the most popular package for apples.
Within the last few years some Of the
growers with large orchards have solved
the problem Of winter work by install
Ing a cooper's outfit and making up their
own barrels during the winter. The
material may be bought ready to as
semble at a reasonable price, and the
tools necessary for making the barrels
may be procured at q slight cost
When proper storage facilities are at
hand many fruit growers can save a
good deal in this way, besides utilizing
their employees during the winter. At
times a might also contract to sup
ply q neighbor with barrels, which
would permit one to buy the material
larger quantities and make a little
money on the contract. besides prolong-
.ng the winters work.-Country Gen.