Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-18
Marketing and Handling Apples

Marketing and Handling Apples
All of the energy and thought OF
our growers was for long time
conferred on the production Of de
islrabie fruit. The theory was tc
produce something superior to the
average and thereby gain a market
ter the same. Even then the owner
OF the orchard probably was not re
ceIVing more than Ione.third, or al
most one-half of what his fruit was
really worth. This was because nc
systematized effort to market the
apple on a businesslike basis had
been undertaken. Some of the sug
gestions which should be considered
ana may be put into effect to good
advantage at this time are there
Tore worthy of the most careful con.
slderation of the grower. Among
the things to which attention should
oe directed so as to make a large
part of the crop marketable and
insure its bringing a profitable re.
turn to the grower, are the follow
ing: The fruit must be thinned, it
must be harvested with care, graded,
packed and marketed according to
the standards set up by the U. S.
bureau of markets. A series of sug-
Sestions covering the points upon
which emphasis should be laid rel
alive to these different matters will
make interesting reading for our
apple growers at this time.
Probably one of the most neglect
ed and a very important phase of
orchard handling is thinning, Most
fruit growers find it very hard to
remove seemingly, perfectly good
Iruit after it has set, but all who
follow the practice are unanimous in
the opinion that apples should be
Trimmed every year.
trimming is paying proposition.
1t prevents the production, of cu1ls
ana increases the amount of No.
ana No. 2 fruit produced by the tree.
Apples should be thinned when
they are a little larger than
quarter Of a dollar and only enc
should be left on a spur. Thinning
should be done by hand so that all
wormy, misshapen and Objectionable
pult. can be removed.
The cost of thinning a bearing tree
is approximately 25 cents. Where
trees are not thinned they are apt
TO overbear enc year and produce a
very small crop the following year.
One should never knock apples off
q tree with a stick or pole. Care
should be exercised to leave no two
fruits close enough to touch when
matured. When two apples touch
eacn other, rotS are apt to start and
insects are sure to find a point of
entry.
No apple Should be picked untN it
10 we'll colored. Nor should any be
left on the tree until severe cold
weather, All apples should be picked
by hand and laid into the picking
receptacle. They should never.
under any consideration, be dropped
and every effort should be made to
prevent the fruits being crushed or
injured in the handling.
Plckers should use ladders and
not be allowed to climb in the trees,
as climbing knocks off fruit spurs.
Injuries the bark and in this way
makes points of entry for disease
ana decreases the next fruit crop.
1t is a good policy to pick the fruit
INTO the receptacles that are to be
carried to the packing house, thus
avoiding the transferring of the
apples from one basket to another.
Where 1t is necessary to transfer
the frult from the picking receptacle
into box or crate, every precaution
must be taken to prevent the fruit
being bruised.
When the fruit reaches the mack
ing mouse to be graded and packed.
II should be stored in cool, well,