Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-08-23
HARVEST WAR CROP
Of APRLEs SHORTLY
II WIN Equal Two Bushels tor
Every Man, Woman and
Child in the Land.
SIMPLE FOODS TO ALLIES

W0SSU w -
Send q Dlseuit.-Unusual Need
Fer HsndlIne crep-May q
Short Of Help.
Tho Omitted States Is about to har.
vest its great war crop Of apples. 1t
equals two bushels to every man. wom-
an and child in the country. In order
10 send as much staple food as posi-.
Bile to our fighting allies, Americans
are urged to use a many apples as
possible. The motto this year Is: Eat
IN apple and send a biscuit"
War conditions also confront the
apple growers, for there is a 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 ut which he trades. and which
have just Is 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 it Is necessary to recruit
new kinds of workers. People who
have V regarded themselves as mp
pie pickers may this year be asked to
60 to 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 to see where a picking
force Is to be recruited. Stores and
factories can often release clerks and
workmen for this service If notified In
time. Families who would Ike Il week
or two of vacation in the country with
/. light, healthy outdoor work at satlsfac'
tory wages, may also be Induced u
: Join the picking army. 1t has been sue
gested that the schools might be open
{ ed later this year so that boys and girls
: can be sent to the orchards, but this
j, will not be necessary in all cases. One
T very good source of plckers can Ds
found among the women's organize
l lions Of this country.
Much IL heard about the scarcity o
labor, but there Is not as great a scar
l city US most people imagine. Worker
' upon whom the farmer depends In OF
binary times have simply been shifte'
into other occupations, and wal cond'
n tons demand that business men ste
q in, locate other classes of workers WI
e can he shifted to the orchards for thu
emergency and see that the farmer ha
X plenty Of help.
The principles of careful fruit pici
- ing are very simple, and easily undeI
, stood. II the farmer can start wit
two or three experienced pickers an
spend a little time explaining goo
picking methods to his volunteers
r. should get excellent results, for the,
Is volunteers. while new to the work. wi
also be people of good average intel
j. Rence, and the war emergency will a
49, neal to their interest so that they wi
e. be more than ready to help harvest IL
crop skillfully.
Apple growers are advised to get
touch with the business organlzatio
w In their nearest town, ask that f.lp
=, given in securing pickers md repo
~ the number of pickers needed by the
-, =. selves. One Of the greatest dific,
-. ties in organizing harvest hands I
'"' any crop Is that Of gathering accura
Information as to how many helpe
are needed on each farm and in ca
y" township. For lack Of such inform
', ton it very often happens that Q
", township will be handicapped becat
ny It Is without sufficient helpers and
township twenty-five or thirty mi
away will have n surplus Of worke
~ BY ascertaining In advance just n
w many workers will be needed In ea
locality, business organizations Will
" able to recruit a sufficient force Q
d. there will be neither scarcity nor 3
plus in any section.
This years apple crop calls for 9
.It cial methods Of handling. The size
, :. the crop makes 1t necessary to 81
only the frst.class fruit to market
to see that all seconds and culls
sold In bulk around home or worl
IN into by.products. There must
great care to zee that apples are
exposed to the heat or outdoors d
,od picking, but are properly housed
temporary storage places on the II
=. and carefully cooled. The scarcity
pickers will probably make It nc'
~. sary to pick and house the crop !
and Grade and pack It afterwards.
directions for handling the fruit
,ro be published later.
The great big task irninedin
ahead II that Of securing a picl
I'M force, and In this work the, BUSH
man and the farmer ere coOpera
~, to an extent never known before. +!
m. u q war crop. II will DO harvc
~ with q war organisation.