Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-06

application OF the old adage, III you want
to get something done get man who is
already busy to do it,
how TO PICK AN APPLE CROP WITH
VOLUNTEER PICKERs.
(The main point is to hurry the apples
into temporary storage.)
This years apple crop will be harvested
In most sections with volunteer pickers.
men and women. boys and girls who will
be intelligent and interested, but very like
ly quite unfamiliar with fruit picking. The
crews are now being recruited all over the
country by State Councils of Defense,
Chambers of Commerce, women's organi-
cations and other people anxious to help
with the apple crop.
Each grower should now get in touch
with the chamber of commerce, or some
other representative business organization
In his nearest town. tell how many pickers
he will need. when he will need them, for
how long, and what arrangements he can
make for housing or boarding them.
When his crew of volunteer pickers re-
ports for duty he must open a little school
for day or two. and give them practical
instruction In their new work. Many of
| them perhaps have never climbed into an
apple tree. and even those who have may
not understand that apple picking is kind
Of work that requires as much delicacy
as gathering eggs.
Let the grower tell his pickers how the
| skin of an apple. or any other kind Of
fruit or vegetable. is like the tin that
protects canned goods. AS the tin that en-
closes can of tomatoes guards the steril-
lied contents from the air. and as even
cit Dht v1iv, h01a s,, tI,t- A.
| the air to enter and carry germs Of decay,
SO the skin Of an apple protects its flesh,
which is perfectly sterile, and the least
cut. even a dent made by a finger nail,
| allows germs to enter and start decay.
A cut so tiny that 1t can only be detected
under the microscope at picking time will.
nevertheless. start a germ invasion which
will show up later when the apple Is pack
ed and put into storage.
For this reason great care must be taken
I In picking fruit. The grower should show
the pickers how to grasp an apple and
give it the skilled twist that separates it
from the tree. He must caution them
against dropping the apples carelessly in
the boxes and baskets. and see that they
have picking boxes and field boxes which
are free from splinters and nails.
This years crop will have to be man.
many sections. With crew Of trained
pickers and packers 1t is customary to
grade and pack much Of the fruit as fast
as 1t comes from the trees. There will
probably be shortage of packers, and
many growers will have to devote all their
efforts to picking the crop and getting it
into temporary storage first, and then
packing it later.
More good apples are spoiled every year
by carelessness between the time they
are picked and the time they are packed
than In any other way. Fall nights are
cool. but fall days are apt to be warm.
Apples are left in the orchard several
days and alternately cool and heat with
the changes in temperature until their
quality deteriorates. The proper way to
care for apples is to put them into COM
mon storage as soon as they come from
the tree. Almost any good tight building
will answer for the temporary storage
needed between picking and packing.
When fruit leaves the tree it contains
vegetable heat just as an animal has ami
NAL heat, and as the carcass of an animal
will spoil after killing unless it is properly
cooled, so fruit will spoil unless cooied.
With tight shed, into which fruit can be
carried direct from the orchard the grow
er can use the cool nights Of autumn
and windows of the temporary storage
shed should be opened at night to admit
plentiful currents Of cool air, and when
the sun comes up and the outside air
grows warm again this storage place
should be closed to exclude the warm, outer
air as much as possible and keep the fruit
nicely cooled. If apples are handled In
this simple and sensible way they will have
prime keeping quality and the work OF
grading and packing can be postponed
for several weeks.
There is fairly large apple crop
throughout the country this year. 1t
amounts to about two bushels for every
man, woman and child in the United
States. From the consumers standpoint
1t is important to have as much or this
fruit as possible go to market in first
class condition. SO that it may help us
conserve wheat. meat. fats and other
staple foods for our Allies From the
producers standpoint it is just as impor-
tant to harvest the crop In the best con-
dition because the size of our apple crop
this year is such that only the best fruit
Will bring good prices.