Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-08-18
'''EAT AN APPLE AND
send A BISCUIT
Apple Growers Will Have Co.
operation of Business Men
In Finding Help

in a couple of weeks we will begin
|, harvesting all over the United States
an apple crop equal to two bushels for
every man, woman and child in the
country. This is war crop. The con
sumers of the United States will be
urged to use apples in the food saving
campaign by which we are increasing
the amount of wheat and other staple
foods sent to our fighting allies.
:" Eat an Apple and send biscuit,
is the motto this year.
4 War conditions also confront the
apple growers. for there is scarcity
of pickers and careful preparations
must now be made to see that this
crop is all safely harvested and put
linto storage Now is the time to begin
organizing picking crews in every APP
pie growing section. A survey of the
situation shows that the farmer will
n . cooperation from business men in
the towns and cities round about at
which he trades and which have just
as great an interest in this crop as the
farmer himself This is emergency or
ganizatiOn work to be taken up imme-
diately by chambers Of commerce,
boards of trade, state and county coun-
ellis of defense and business men gen
orally.
The labor supply to harvest this crop
exists right in the cities adjacent to
the apple orchards in most cases, but
the draft and the demands of factor
les and railroads for labor have dis
turbed the normal supply of workers
upon which the farmer usually draws,
and it is necessary to recruit new kinds
of workers. People who have never re-
garded themselves as apple pickers
may this year be asked to 60 to the
Iorchards and helD get in the crop for
patriotic reasons.
The organization work should take
the form of an immediate survey of
labor resources to see where a picking
force is to be recruited. Stores and fac
tories can often release clerks and
workmen for this service otified in
time. Families who would like week
or two of vacation in the country with
light, healthy outdoor work at satisfac
tory wages, may also be induced to
join the picking army 1t has been sug-
gested that the schools might be open
ed later this year so that boys and
girls can be sent to the orchards, but
this will not be necessary in all cases.
One very good source of piekers can
be found among the womens organiza-
tions of this country, which are all
keenly interested in helping in any
practical patriotic work
Much is heard about the scarcity of
labor, but there is not as great a scare
ity as most people imagine. Workers
upon whom the farmer depends in or |
dinarv times have simply been shifted
into other occupations, and war condi- |
tions demand that business men step in,
locate other classes of workers who can
be shifted to the orchards for this
emergency and see that the farmer has
plenty of help.
There will probably be some diff
Guilty in harvesting the apple crop
with these volunteer workers, many of
whom have no experience at the work.
Perishable fruit must be handled care
fully to prevent injury to the skin and
bruises. These would later cause decay
when the apples go into storage.
The principles of careful fruit pick
ing are very simple, and easily under
stood. If the farmer can start with two
OF three experienced pickers and spend
a little time explaining good picking
methods to his volunteers he should get
excellent results, for these volunteers,
while new to the work, will also be
people of good average intelligence;
and the war emergency will appeal TO
their interest so that they will be more
than ready to help harvest the crop
skillfully.
Apple growers are advised to get III
touch with the business organizations
in their nearest town, ask that help be
given in securing piekers and report
the number of pickers needed by them
selves One of the greatest difficulties
in organizing harvest hands for any
crop is that of gathering accurate in
as to how many helpers are
needed on each farm and in each town
ship. For lack of such information 1t
very often happens that one township
will be handicapped because it is with
out sufficient helpers and township
twenty five or fifty miles away will
have surplus of workers. BY ascertain
ing in advance just how many workers
will be needed in each locality, busi- !
ness organizations will be able TO re- L
,ruit a sufficient force and there will
be neither scarcity nor surplus in any
section.
This year S apple crop calls for spe,
,ial methods of handling. The size of
The crop makes it necessary to send on
" the first class fruit to market and
10 see that all seconds and eulls are
sold in bulk around home or worked up II
INTO by products. There must be great
are to see that apples are not exposed
10 the heat or outdoors after picking,
out are properly housed in temporary
storage places on the farm and careful,
v cooled. The scarcity of pickers will
probably make it necessary to pick and
louse the crop first and grade and
lack il afterwards. Full directions for
handling the fruit will be published
ater.
The great big task Immediately
lhead is that of securing picking |
'oree and in this work the business I
nan and the farmer are cooperating to
IN extent never known before. This IS .
war crop. 1t win be harvested with .
~, ftAn /