Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1915-01-29
HOW APPLES SHOULD
BE PICKED.

1 From a speech of H. F. Byrd
delivered before the State Horti
cultural Society.
| II will first discuss how, in my
opinion. a barrel of apples shoult
be when presented on the marke
| for sale.
| AS Virginia apples are solo
nearly entirely in barrels, l vii
devote my remarks to the barre
as a package.
| The first requisite is the pack
ling only of sound apples, reason.
ably free from such defects as
are preiudicial to their eating Of
keeping qualities.
The grading specifications as
provided for in the national
packing law should be, followed
although the average barre!
should be an improvement over
this grade, which is as follows:
Apples of one variety, which
are we'll grown specifications,
! hand-picked, of good color for
the variety, normal shape, prac-
tically free from insect or fun
gous injury. bruises or other de-
fects excepting such as are neces-
sarily caused in the operation of
packing, or apples which are
more than 10 per cent below the
foregoing specifications
The facing of barrels is Of
great Importance and hardly
sufficient attention is given to
this detail.
I do not mean that there ll'uld
be fraud or deceit and that the
/
two ends should be all sound and
fancy apples while the centre
contains defective or Indifferent
fruit.
/ mean that in order to sell to
| the best advantage that the fac e
Of the barrel should be composed
of the most perfect specimens in
that barrel and should be gener-
ally indicative of the contents of
the barrel.
The apples in the face should
be laid on the stem end, being
uniform in size, but if some slight
differences are necessary, the
smaller apples should be in the
outer circle, the size of the apple
being gradually increased
that those in the center OF
plat form the largest and each
laver should be tight.
The size of apples used for the
face should be size character
istic Of we'll grown and normal
specimens of that variety. OF
good size, but not too large.
Especial attention should be
given with red varieties, so that
facers are brilliantly colored on
the stem end.
The second layer should be
ringtailed, that is to say that
each apple should be packed
cheek down and placed against
the other, dovetailed with the
color side towards the face.
The will make a compact sec
ond layer preventing the apples
shifting position and consider
this to be better than the method
commonly termed ''spotting."
Every barrel should be shaken
four or five times on a solid foun-
dation.
1t is important that when a
barrel of apples, if of a red va
riety is opened for inspection
that a mass of color is the first
Impression of the buyer.
| l have found that with varie-
tiles like the York Imperial, on
which it is difficult to get color,
THAT it is better to have facers
Ipicked direct from the tree.
| l have also found that double
picking pays. The first picking
to be of ripe and well colored
fruit as of that time, leaving any
Immature or uncolored frnit.
At least two or three weeks
should elapse before the second
picking and care should be exer
cised to leave Sufficient fancy
fruit, so that good facers can bt
secured for the second picking.
/ If the tree is relieved, say Of
so per cent of its burden by thu
first picking and left for two O.
three weeks, the remaining ap
piles will greatly improve both ii
! size and color, and also / beliey'
in keeping qualities, as immatur
apples will not keep SO well o.
those matured.
81 Corrugated caps should b
used on both ends with lac
. circles or PLAIN paper on the fac
END