The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-08-18
HARVEST WAR CROP
OF APPLES SHORTLY
1t Will Equal Two Bushels for
Every Man. Woman and
Child in the Land.
STAPLE FOODS TO ALLIES
MOTTO This Year is Eat al Apple and
Send a Biscuit"-UnusuaI Need
For Handling crop-msy Be
Short Of Help.

The United States is about 10 hal
vest It's great war crop Of APPLES
equals two bushels 10 every man. Won
an and child in the country. In ordp
10 Send as much staple food a. posSt
Die 10 our fighting allies. American
are urged 10 use as many apples a
possible. The motto this wear is: "Ea
an apple and send biscuit"
War conditions also confront IN,
apple growers, for there IS a scarcit,
OF pickers, and careful preparation,
MUST now be made 10 see that hi,
crop is all safely harvested and pu-
into storage. Now Is the time 10 be
| gin organizing picking crews in every
apple growing section. A survey OF
the situation shows that the farmer
VIII need cooperation from business
men in the towns and cities round
about AT which he trades. and which
nave Just as great an interest in this
crop as The farmer himself. This is
emergency organization work 10 be
taken up Immediately by chambers of
commerce, boards of trade. state and
county councils of defense. and bust
ness men generally.
The labor supply TO harvest this
crop exists right in the cities adjacent
10 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 il is necessary TO recruit
new kinds IF workers. People who
have never regarded themselves as an
pie pickers may this year be asked 10
20 10 the orchards and help get in the
crop for patriotic reasons.
The organization work should take
the form of an immediate survey Of
labor resources 10 see where a picking
iorce Is 10 be recruited Stores and
factories can often release clerks and
w0rkmen for this service If notified in
lime. Families who would like a week
or two of vacation in the country with
light, healthy outdo-r work at satisfac-
tory wages. may also be induced 10
loln The picking army. II has been sug-
'ested that the schools might be open
~ later this year so that boys and girls |
AN be sent 10 the orchards. but this |
VIII not be necessary I'm all cases. One
cry good source of pickers can be
ound among the wOmen's organiza-
ions of this country.
Much is heard about the scarcity of
hbor, but there is not as great a scar
ity as most people imagine. Workers
pom whom the farmer depends In or
mary times have simply been shifted
MO other occupations. and war condi-
ons demand that business men step
.. locate other classes of workers who
an be shifted 10 the orchards for this
Emergency and see that the farmer has
lenty Of help.
The principles Of careful fruit pick
* are very simple, and easily under
God. If the farmer can start with
vo or three experienced pickers and
BEND little time explaining good
cklng methods TO his volunteers he
lOuld get excellent results. for these ,
while new TO the work. will ,
so be people of good average intelli- ,
nee, and the war emergency will ap- I
al 10 their interest so that they will ,
more than ready to help harvest the ,
Op skillfully. :
Apple growers are advised to get in G
UGH with the business organizations
their. nearest town, ask that help be I
ven in securing pickers and report Q
e number of pickers needed by them n
Ives. One Of the greatest difficult v
IS in organizing harvest hands for n
y crop is that of gathering accurate f.
formation as TO how many helpers n
e needed on each farm and in each | 2,
wnship. For lack of such informa- @
m IL very often happens that one ri
~nship will be handicapped because W
is without sufficient helpers and a o.
"nship twenty-five or thirty miles r,
'ay will have a surplus of workers. m
ascertaining in advance Just how n
my workers will be needed in each h,
"''''' ""ciheSs VI SdiiiLhtlOHS VIII be | n
lie TO recruit a sufficient force and W
re will be neither scarcity nor sur y,
Is In any section. n
his years apple crop calls for spe- fr
methods of handling. The size of oil
crop makes IL necessary to send
Y the first-class fruit TO market and 3.
see that all seconds and culls are W
in bulk around home or worked III
INTO by-productS. There must be 81
at care TO see that apples are not nc
'osed Ia the heat or outdoors after br
king, but are properly housed in of
lpoTary storage places on the farm
carefully cooled. The scarcity of nc
kers will probably make ii neces- be
Y 10 pick and house the crop first ii,
grade and pack it afterwards. Full L,
ections for handling the fruit will of
published later. Ia
he great big task Immediately To-
ad is that of securing a picking M
re. and in this work the business III
and the farmer are cooperating CT
IN extent never known before. This Of
/ war crop. 1t will be harvested lee
war organization. ne
on
A Call Misinterpreted. ar