Milford chronicle., 1915-12-10
New York. Dec. 9Th. 1915.

Editor Milford Chronicle:
noticed an article in the Dec. 3rt
issue of the Milford Chronicle
on Apple Growing in Delaware"
Knowing that Delaware can anC
does grow better apples (that is bet
ter favored apples) man any other
state in the United States, l ordered
from Philadelphia for our Thanksgiv.
ing, two barrels of "Staymen's Wine
Saps," at $500 per barrel. They were
for some of the employees of our store
but | was sadly disappointed. On ex-
animation of the apples l found that
every apple in the barrel was bruised
evidently they had been shaken from
the trees, and then picked up off the
ground, instead of being carefully
hand-picked; while some were wormy
and several were rotten.
Now these two barrels of apples
were grown by one of your largest ap-
pie growers, and they were marked
Extra Fancy" and bore his name on
the head of the barrels.
While in the west last fall, in Selah,
l helped pick a carload
of apples. Those apples were so care
fully handled that the picker was not
permitted to pour them from his buck
ct into the box, but the bucket (Which
by the way was of canvass) opened at
the bottom, so that the apples were
emptied into the box by simply lift
ng up the bucket; and, if by accident
)ne apple dropped from the tree to
he ground, it was left there.
At the packing house all the apples
we're first sorted for imperfect ones;
wen an apple that is out of shape,
n has mark from resting against
imb, is discarded from that grade.
he imperfect apples were then put
ntO the lowest grade, Glass c. The
rst grade was then carefully graded |
y expert graders, then wrapped in |
aper and packed in boxes. Each box
o packed was marked Extra Fancy"
T A and B. Grade.
Extra Fancy" does not mean the
lrgest apples, but perfect apples in
olor and in shape. The packer oc-
lsiOnally would find an apple that the
)rter overlooked, and it was then
lrown out of that grade and into /
rade c. If the apple was not per-
ct, although it might have been as
rye as any in the Extra Fancy" it
ent out OF the grade.
An expert apple packer can and :
)es make SIS a day. l saw boys in
e west packing who made that
Mount per day.
have a friend in our store here, /:
no has lived in Washington, and he
1icules the idea that Delaware ap-
es are better favored than his west
n ones. so / bought a box of the
ashingtOn grown apples of the
taymen's Winesap" variety. There
ere So apples in the box, which was
lrked Extra Fancy" Every apple !
Is beautiful in cOlor-nOt a blemish
d not a bruise. They beat our Del !
rare ones in appearance, but l had
e best of him on the flavor.
Now | understand that these two \
rrels referred to above as coming
)m Delaware were machine graded,
d think that possibly is where the
llt lays. The machine does not take
t the defective apples, and it bruises
e others. l had the same variety of
pies from the same grower last y
ar and the year before that, and
ey were always o. KIN fact we
Mt a barrel to Scotland, and the
ople in Scotland said they were the Z
st they ever ate.
There is no excuse for apple growers
Delaware letting the western grow
J get ahead of them. The same care 3
1t is used in the west, if followed by \
: Delaware growers, will put them q
the lead. 1t cost more to raise a Y
K of apples in the west 1t cost | q
re to put them on the market. q
Delaware growers must not get y
'eless because they have the best e
GOred apples in the world. Far bet g
to let the wormy bruised apples q
to the hogs. You might sell the e
)les for one year; it will ruin the q
es for the next season. n
appearance goes a long ways with g
st city buyers, and if they buy fan X
fruit they want it fancy. Now I &
not writing this as a complaint, g
only to urge our Delaware apple v
wers to be more careful in pack Il
Don't get careless. I like to be q
2 to brag on the products of Della Y
e. Cut out the machine graders.
C. E. COMPTON,