Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-08-24
HARVEST WAR CROP
Of APPLES SHORTLY
II viii Equal Two Bushels for
Every Man, Woman and
Child in the Land.
STAPLE FOODS TO ALLIES
Motto This Year Is "Eat an Apple and
Send a Bscult"-Unusual Need
For Handling crop-May Be
Short Of Help.

The United States is about to har-
vest It's great war crop Of apples. II
equals two bushels to every man, wom-
an and child In the country. In order
to send ms much staple food as posi-
BILE TO our fighting allies, Americans
are urged to use as many apples MS
possible. The motto this year Is: Eat
an apple and send biscuit"
War conditions also confront the
apple growers, for there Is n scarcity
of plckers, 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 rs great m 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 busl-
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 II Is necessary to recruit
new kinds Of workers. People who
have never regarded themselves as ap-
pie plckerS may this year be asked TO
go 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 picking
force Is TO be recruited. Stores and
factories can often release clerks and
workmen for this service II notified 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
VIII not be necessary in all cases. one
very good source OF pickers can be
found among the women's organlza.
tons of this country.
Much Is heard about the scarcity OF
labor, but there is not ms great a 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 condl-
TONS 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
The principles Of careful fruit pick
Ing are very simple, and easily under
stood. If 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 lntelll-
gehce' and the war emergency will ap-
peal to their interest so that they will
be more than ready to help harvest the
crop skIllfuly.
apple growers are advised 10 get In
touch with the business organizations
In their nearest town, ask that help be
given In securing piekers and report
the number OF plckers needed by them.
selves One OF the greatest Difficult.
Ties In organizing harvest hands for
any crop Is that of gathering accurate
as TO how many helpers
are needed on each farm and in each
township. For lack Of such informa.
'ion II very often happens that one
township VIII be handicapped because
u is without sufficient helpers and
Iownshlp twenty-five or thirty miles
away will have surplus OF workers.
by ascertaining In advance lust how
many workers will be needed in each
ocality, business organizations will he
iole 10 recruit a sufficient force and
mere VIII be neither scarcity nor sur.
'lus In any section.
This years apple crop calls for sne.
,lal methods of handling. The size OF
ne crop makes It necessary to send
'niy the frst-class fruit to market and
o see that all seconds and culls are
old In bulk around home or worked
lp into by-products. There must be
'reat care to see that apples are not
iposed to the heat or outdoors after
licking, but are properly housed In
temporary storage places on the farm
no carefully cooled. The scarcity Of
ickers will probably make It neces-
airy to pick and house the crop first
nd grade and pack It afterwards, Full
irections for handling the fruit will
e published later.
me great big task Immediately
mead Is that of securing a picking
Orce' and In this work the business
ian and the farmer are cooperating
, an extent never known before. This
war crop. II will be harvested
ith war organization.