The Prescott daily news., 1915-12-28
Orcharding and
 Gardening
Eight Studies in Handling the Or
 chard and Garden.
J. $. Knox, Extension Horticulturisl,
 University of Arkansas.
III. HARVESTING FRUIT.

Is, How can 1 harvest my crop Of ble price for t?' The answer to tho question comes in knowing when 10 pick and how to pick and the best methods of grading and packing then using these methods. One can use the most up-to-date methods of growing fruit, and may have the most perfect fruit possible and still fail to get good price for the fruit if he falls down on the above factors. Putting any and every kind and grade of fruit upon the market soon causes a gIut on the market, and herein is deter. mined largely the success or failure in marketing the crop.
 When to Pick: How can 1 know when my fruit is ready to pick is question that comes to every young or inexperienced orchardist. The an swer to the above question can be found in one or more of the following ways for apples. CD By the color Of the fruit. When fruit becomes about the characteristic color for that va riety it is generally, though not all ways, ready to pick. Varieties like Gano, Arkansas Black or Black Twig can be judged by color largely. CD Ease of separation of fruit from the tree. If ready to pick the fruit will separate easily by gentle side pres sure or uplifting of the fruit. This is a very good method for all varieties. (3) By color of the seed. This meth cd is often used for green colored va rieties-picking when the seed become real brown in color. (4 By flavor of flavor that is characteristic for that variety, it is ready to pick.
 With peaches the color and springi- ness of the fruit is the principal guide for picking. By taking a peach in the hand and eXerting a gentle pressure if ready to pick, there will be a de. cided springy feel. You will observe that a green peach is firm and does not possess this characteristic feel. Take a green peach in one hand and one that is ready to pick in the other and exert about the same pressure on each. Note the difference.
 For fruits like cherries, plums, grapes and strawberries, color is per haps the chief factor in determining when they shall be picked
 Pears are generally picked rather green and allowed to ripen in the shade
 How to Pick. The best method of picking depends upon the kind of fruit to be picked and that method enables one to gather the fruit with the least amount of labor and with the least bruising or rough handling is essen. tially the best method. If trees are headed low and kept properly pruned, the fruit will not be so high from the ground, consequently the use of high ladders will be largely dispensed with.
 The picking receptacle should be as smooth as possible to prevent any bruising of the fruit, and if the recep- tacle has padding or burlap or simi, lar material it will help a great deal here. Place the fruit in the receptacle gently. Avoid all rough handling as much as possible. In picking, try to avoid the breaking off of fruit spurs.
 Grading: All fruit should be care. fully graded before packing. Here is one of the most essential points for the fruit grower in Arkansas to ob- serve. Too often it is the case that the baskets are carried in the or chard and filled with the fruit just as 1t comes from the trees. Many times this last summer in my work in the orchards of the state 1 found this to be the case. These baskets are not repacked, but are placed in the car in that shape. There are a few men. however, who are grading their fruit and these men are the ones who get profit from the business. To be sure it is more expensive but the higher price received for the fruit far more than meets this extra expense Then too, it is such satisfaction to have things look attractive and know that the buyer will be we'll pleased with his purchase.
 Packing: If you have fancy fruit put it up in fancy package It will pay you as it has done thousand of growers in the Northwest Appear, ance sells thousands of bushels of fruit every year so make your fruit look attractive by putting it in the standard box. These boxes must be new and clean and if they are lined with newspaper and each individual