The Raymer enterprise., 1917-08-16
war APPLE CROP
This Years Harvest o. Fruit VIII
Help Whip Enemy. I
SCARCITY OF PICKERs FELT
Size Of Crop, Equal to Two Bushels
for Each Person In Land, Calls
for Special Methods Of
Handling for Market

In a couple OF weeks we will begin
harvesting all over the United States
an apple crop equal to two bushels
Tor every man, woman and child In the
country. This Is u war crop. The
consumers of the United States Will
be urged to use apples In the food saw.
Ing campaign by which we are In.
crcasing the amount Of wheat and
other staple foods sent to our fighting
allies.
Eat an apple and send biscuit
Is the motto this year.
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
into storage. Now Is the time to be-
gin organizing picking crews In every
apple growing section. A survey of
the situation shows that the farmer
Will need 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 organization work to be
taken up Immediately by chambers of
commerce, boards Of trade, state and
county councils of defense, and busi-
ness men generally.
The labor supply to harvest this
crop exists right in the cities adjacent
to the apple orchards In most cases,
but the draft and demands Of fac.
tories and railroads for labor have
disturbed the normal supply of work
ers upon which the farmer usually
draws, and 1t Is necessary to recruit
new kinds of workers. People who
have never regarded themselves as ap-
pie pickers may this year be asked to
go to the orchards and help get In the
crop for patriotic reasons.
Much is heard about the scarcity OF
labor, but there is not as great scar
city as most people imagine. Workers
upon whom the farmer depends In or
binary times have simply been shifted
into other occupations, and war eondi'
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 de.
cay when the apples go into storage.
The principles Of careful fruit pick.
ing are very simple. and easily under
stood. II the farmer can start with
two or three experienced pickers and
spend 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 lntelli'
gence, and the war emergency Will ap'
peal to their Interest so that they will
be more than ready to help harvest the
crop skillfully. .-...
Apple growers are advised to get lr
touch with the business organizations
In their nearest town. ask that help be
given In securing pickers and report
the number of pickers needed by them
selves. One of the greatest Difficult
ties in organizing harvest hands fol
any crop Is that Of gathering accurate
information us to how many helpers
are needed on each farm and In eaci
township. For lack Of such informa
ton 1t very often happens that ont
township will be handicapped because
II is without sufficient helpers and {
township twenty-five or thirty miles
away will have surplus Of workers
BY ascertaining In advance just how
many workers will be needed In eacl
locality, business organizations will b,
able to recruit sufficient force.
This years apple crop calls for spe
cial methods Of handling. The size O
the crop makes 1t necessary to sent
only the first-class fruit to market ant
to see that all seconds and culls ar,
sold In bulk around home or WORKED
up into by-products. There must b.
great care to see that apples are no
exposed to the heat or outdoors afte
picking, but are properly housed II
temporary storage places on the farm
and carefully cooled. The scarcity O
pickers will probably make 1t neces
sary to pick and house the crop frs
and grade and pack 1t afterwards. Full
directions for handling the fruit will
be published later.
The great big task immediatel,
ahead is that of securing pickinI
force, and in this work the bushes
man and the farmer are cooperating
to an extent never known before. Thi
Is a war crop. II will be harveste'