The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-11-28


prepared BY the United States Depart
ment of Agricultural
With a view TO meeting the needs
of apple growers in the East, middle
West and elsewhere who have not
placed their business ON the most prof
liable basis, the bureau of markets has
just published Farmers Bulletin No
1880, Preparation of Barreled APP
pies for the Market The apple crop
In majority of the states is shipped
In barrels.
A large amount of the barreled fruit
reaching the market each season is
Impaired In quality by being picked
at the wrong stage of maturity, either
too early or too late The grower must
realize that fruit is not ready to he
picked when 1t ciings to the spurs so
tightly that the spurs are pulled out
or broken. Furthermore, the color of
fruit. which eventually turns red, is
not always a reliable index. the In
tensity Of the color being dependent
upon the prevailing cloudiness or
brightness of the weather. Whether
or not the red color develops normal
iy. a reliable Indication of maturity is
ground color which. when the fruit
Is ready for picking, should he turn
Ing from clear green 10 whitish green
or greenish yellow. Yellow, green and
russell varieties of apples Ore generally
ready to pick when they have attained
the proper size and the stems separate
readily from the spurs. In picking APP
pies. the stem should be separated
from the spur either by giving the
fruit slight rotating motion com
bined with n sharp upward twist or by
exerting slight pressure with the
thumb or forefinger at the joint of the
stem and spur just as the fruit is
pulled.
variety of picking utensils are
commented on I'm the bulletin. some Of
which are mentioned for special APP
proval. In removing the crop 1t is gen
orally advantageous to use both sacks
and baskets, as the latter are especial
~ convenient for gathering fruit near
the ground, while the sacks can he
used to advantage for ladder work. rs
the pickers have both hands free. The
chief disadvantage of sacks is TINT
their use involves n greater possibility
of hruising the fruit. In emptying
either the basket or the sack, cnre
should he taken to avoid dropping the
fruit. If n basket is used. il should
be lowered to the bottom of the lug
box or other receptacle and inverted
gently. A certain type of sack is con-
structed with drop bottom. so that
the fruit can be emptied without
bruising 1t.
Ladders Make or Mar.
Much efficiency In picking depends
on the use of ladders of the proper
type. Several varieties are in common
use. Stsp-adders are especially sat
isfactory for work In small trees and
I'm picking from the lower branches of
larger trees. The most desirable types
IRE wide and fiaring at the bottom.
narrow at the top and supported with
but one prop. AS rule, not enough
consideration is given to the selection
of ladders.
Where the crop is packed over ta-
bles that are moved about the orchard
the packers usually carry the fruit in
the picking utensil to the packing tn
BILE. While 1t is common practice for
the pickers to do this. 1t should he
avoided by assigning certain members
OF the crew to this task. They should
also furnish the pickers with empty
receptncies ms needed.
In small orchards. when weather r.
favcrnhle. apples nre usually packed
m the open. portable equipment being
used, but IN large orchards and IN Sec
lions where the w~nther Is generally
dnfavornble, the FRUIT n often packed
In central houses. tente or sheds. fhe
use 81 packing houses has largely m
creased m recent years and n reE1rd-
ed a. favorable development IN fhe
apple-raising industry. These houses
are 70 he fonnd IN both large and sman
orchards. They are considered advnn-
tageous because they afnnrd shelter
for the accumulation Of unpacketi
NUT which can he handled further /
without interruption due to unfnvcr- |
able weather. The houses also prevent
damage to equipment and packages,
hecause Of rain and snow. Where |
inch adequate shelter exists there IL |
q better opportunity for inssslling sig |
ing machinery and other labor-saving |
devices. thereby promiting efficient |
organization Of the labor force.
In small orchards. when climate |
conditions are especially favornhle. II |
may be advisable to pack In the or
chards. but In most instances some
sort Of shelter will insure better re-
suits.
use = Sorting Tables
Two types Of grading o. sorting t. i
bles are used almost exclusively where
the fruit II graded II the orchard, and /
they are used to : large extent IL I
packing houEee. These are the apron
table md the eonvas o. burlap table.
p &C. 49, = = s \ = ~ Y !