The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-09-11
SUGGESTIONS ON
HARVESTING APPLES
lRv Gordon @. Brown

ples Is nearly three weeks or Vet bUt II
is considered worth while laying down
a few rules which Will help the until
ated. When 10 pick his fruit Is largely
a variety problem in itself but there
are underlying principles that should
guide
Obviously now is the time TO get all
picking apparatus ready and IN full
repair. Incidentally get a habitable
place ready 10 which the picker can
live. The stores are well supplied
with picklug bags, ladders, etc, but
+ purchases should be made soon. There
will be plenty of distracting things to
deal with the last moment without
I having to bother with things which can
I be attended TO now. BY all means get
good Ladders ard avoid the possibility
Of someone's getting hurt and trouble.
Too much emphasis cannot be LAID
upon proper harvesting methods. The
grower may be inclined to delay pick
ing his apples beyond the proper stage
Of maturity in order that they may
become larger in size or take on addl-
tional color There is a marked in
crease in the amount of color during
the last few days before picking, and
consequently the grade is often raised.
There IS also d gradual increase IN size
but this merely follows the general
growth ratio for the entire season,
while in the case of color the rate Of
increase is much greater during the
last week or ten days.
Horticultural Commissioner W. n.
Nolek, Of California. states GROW
ers can approximately determine the
maturity of apples by the iodine test
for starch. When the core areas show
general reduction in starch, and small
portions of these areas do not stain
blue CWhen treated with dilute iodine
sOlution), the variety is ready to begin
harvesting. This is especially true if
the fruit is intended for distant ship
meat or storage Fruit intended for
immediate use may remain on the trees
two or three weeks longer. Growers
may also learn to use the hydrometer
IN making juice tests Beltlower and
other early apples Will test about Il
per cent total solids in the Juice, and
Newtowns and other late varieties,
about l3 per cent wIen sufficiently ma
ture to begin picking.
The general rule to follow in deer
mining when to harvest is to note the
color of the seeds which, in case OF
most varieties, should be brown. Col
or of fruit Is taken by some growers
as the deciding factor in determining
when to pick, while others rely upon
the falling of the fruit from the tree, or
ease with which apple may be separated
from the fruit spur. In order to pick
al ,,t,t chot1lH
study his variety. For example the
Gravenstein has a tendency to fall be-
| fore ripening, the Jonathan at the time
| of ripening. The longer the former
| hangs on the tree the more likely 1t is
| to develop core-rot.
| Ii was a crime the way fruit was
picked in the Valley last year. The
grower felt that he was up against it
| for labor and let the picker take ad-
| vantage Of the situation in many in
! stances. The writer was in a great
many orchards during picking time
| and in his Judgment the fruit instead
| of being picked was literally ''milked
| from the tree. Thousands of fruit
| spurs were lost which might have been
| saved had more caution been used and
| SUPERVISION exercised. | have had
| growers point out to me great many
/ bruises on apples in the box shortly
/ after picking. They have suggested
| that many of these bruises occurred on
i the tree itself before picking started.
Il Let the grower study this matter for
4 himself. Compare the percentage OF
Il bruised fruit in the box and that or
Il the tree. He will find the ratio about
II ten to one if not greater that the pick
Il er is at fault | believe that if the
II grower will give the picker to under
II stand right from the start this yeal
Il that such practices will not be toler
II ated results will be far better The
II longer the picker is allowed to persis
Il in careless picking or handling the
Il harder it will be to break him of the
II habit or to prevent the other picker.
II from acquiring it. In some cases thu
II grower is to blame. AS a rule he i
II inclined to pick his fruit before it II
II ready. This has been especially tru'
II with Spitzenburgs.
II There are several very satisfactor,
III picking utensils on the market. Som
II growers prefer large. galvanize,
III pail, padded or unpadded. One Of tn
II advantages claimed for the pail whe
II used without padding is that the fore
II man can readily detect pickers. DOM
III careless work by the sound of the frul
II as it is dropped into the bucket Ih
HI picking bag is very popular. The bet
II ter types are So constructed that whe
III partially or wholly filled it will be i
HI no danger of coming between tn
HI workman and the ladder or the mai
III branches of the tree, thus causing st
III we're bruises to the fruit. The pickin
HI bag probably enables the fastest pick
III ing, but care must be exerc sed to Sc
HI that too much fruit is not placed
III such a receptacle at one time, and tha
HI in one way or another all chances {
III bruislng are avoided.