Show BIG AMOUNT OF APPLES REACH MARKET EACH FALL fali IMPAIRED IN QUALITY bat iab k A an apple slier sizer and grader in operation prepared by the united pta states arees depart ment of agrico agriculture with ft a view to meeting tho the needs of tipple growers in the enst middle west vest and elsewhere who have not placed their business on tho the most profitable basis the bureau ot of markets has just published partners farmers bulletin no preparation of apples for the I 1 mark market et 11 the apple crop in it majority of the states Is shipped in n barrels A large amount of tile tho fruit tho the aint market icet each season Is impaired in ili quality by being picked nt at the wrong stage of maturity either cither too early or too late the grower rower must r realize akizo alizo ant that fruit Is not rendy ready to bo be picked when it clings to tile tho spurs so tightly that the spurs are pulled out or broken furthermore the ho color of fruit which eventually turns red Is not always a rell ablo index ta tho io in tl nalty of a f the color being dependent upon the prevailing cloudiness or brightness of the weather whether or not the red color develops develop normal ly a reliable indication of maturity Is a ground color which when tho the fruit la is ready for picking should bo be turning from clear green to n whitish green graen or greenish yellow yellow green and russet rosset varieties of apples are generally ready to pick when they have attained the proper size alzo and the stems separate readily from tho the spurs in picking apples pl ID s tho the stem should be separ separated a te d from the spur either by giving tile tho fruit a slight rotating motion combined with a sharp upward I 1 twist or by exerting a slight pressure with till the thumb or forefinger tit nt tile the joint of the stem tinz anz spur just as the fruit Is pulled A variety of picking utensils are commented on lu in tho the bull bulletin detill some of lich are mentioned for special ap in removing the crop it Is generally advantageous to use both sacks tin and d baskets as aa tho the latter tire especially convenient for gathering I 1 fruit I 1 near the tha ground while the sacks can ila bo use used to advantage for ladder work as the lie pickers have both hands free the chief disadvantage of sticks sacks lg Is that their heir use involves n greater possibility of bruising tho the fruit in emptying either cither tile tho basket or the sack enre care should bo be taken to avoid dropping tile the fruit if a basket Is used use it should be ba lowered to tile tho bottom of the lug ing box bor or other receptacle and inverted gently A certain type of sack Is constructed ted with a drop bottom so that the fruit can be emptied wIth without outi bruising it ladders M make ake or mar much lit in picking depends on the use of lad deri of the proper type several varieties bre are in common use stepladders step ladders are especially satisfactory is for work in small trees and in picking from tile tho lower brunches branches of larger trees the most dosI desirable rable types are wide rind flaring at the bottom harrow nt at the top and supported with but one prop As a n rule not consideration ils given to tb the selection ot of ladders lad dera I 1 choro tho the crop Is packed pa eked over tables that ore are moved about the orchard the packers usually carry the fruit in the picking utensil to the packing td ile ble willie it Is common practice for the pickers to do this it should be ba avoided by ns assigning sIgnIng certain members of tile the crew to this task they should til also go furnish fil anish tho the pickers with empty receptacles ng ai needed use of sorting tables two types of grading or sorting tr te lies bles tire used almost exclusively where the fruit la 19 graded in the orchard anti they tire used to n large extent lit in packing houses these are the apron table find the canvas or burlap table tho the apron table or n vatin variation tion of this type Is commonly used in all sections the bed which la Is slatted so that trash falls through it Is it inclined causing tho the ruilt na as it ta iri graded to roll to tile tho lower end cud where on opening a stop or drop it Is lowered It by menus means of on an apron into tile the barrel while work din car ile ho alono rotifer rapidly aldi this ills table ii 11 la Is not altogether altos eu cr ns its tho the fruit frequently crowds past the sorters and on their part the caim ai or harlop la Is eincle with it 11 plem tit of thili dai inn alil tl il stretched t river over it I frame and Is not fitted for running fruit from the apron into the barrel tho the apples must ho be sorted by liand hand into baskets in ili which they are ro lowered into barrels the advantage of Is that all apples are arc subject to careful inspection sizing machines for barrel apples applean 11 ara ie gaining popularity they aliey have been used in the northwest for several years for sizing boxed opples apples but operate erate on a different pi idalo than alint employed in bartele barrile apple sizing ilia machines clif fies at present sizing machine are being used quite extensively for barrel packing in till all sections to meet the demand for apples of oc uniform size the most common practice throughout the barrel apple sections Is to appa pa rate the fruit into two standard sizes ai V to 2 inches and 2 inches and barger larger there are a variety of machines employed to do flits his work ench featuring some distinctive mechanical device or sorting process to in general wy ally of these will size apples satis satisfactorily file for barrel packing in making a selection the apple grower must dp de termine which machine lias has a capacity proportionate to the size of his orchard and enn can be operated most economically no lie ile should also look for onci one of simple design and fre from features requiring too much adjustment and should make sure that it will not bruise the fruit tile the durability ity of the machine should also be considered si the various methods of feeding the fruit to the sizing machine should hould also be studied carefully ns as it influences directly the total daily output and consequently the cost of op 01 e ernt ration lon only small nin machines chInes can be operated by hand baud power S some of the simplest types having a i capacity y of perhaps barrels a day can be run in this way but in most cases the gasoline oline engine or electric motor Is or ornale able the tipple apple grower raising any ally considerable sid erable quantity of fruit should give careful attention to the advantages of mechanical conveyors which save gave much labor both in handling loose fruit and light packages operation of grading laws lawo tho the enactment of grading laws for tipples apples Is a comparatively recent development the present federal law known as the sulzer law took effect july 10 1 1013 1913 and at about nebout the same samo time almo a number of santes niso also passed laws laiq for several seasons the state santo laws have not been entirely successful in obtaining results desired many were enacted hurriedly and most of them contal contained ned provisions not consistent with commercial practices the degree of enforcement lit in different s states lins has varied markedly furthermore fruit from many of the states having these laws frequently appears in the same bamo the uso use of identical grade terms having different meanings in different states hog hns in R n wily way defeated atea the purpose of tho the law aw yn in spite of these objections however lowi a state law that Is practical to la its specifications and intelligently enforced forced will carry with it many advantages tho the grower who feels the need of a packing house will lind find sugg suggestions salons in tho the section of the bulletin devoted to designs of such buildings floor plans of various types are suggested ono one provides for tin an output of barrels it a day and a second plan shows a house equipped with three grading r machines ri chines having a total capacity of i 1200 barrels a day A third plan provides for tin on output from two machines chInes with a total cap capacity nelty of barrels a 0 lay day partial suggestions relating to hauling concludes the bulletin As a largo part of the barrel crop f f tile lie country ls is packed in ili the orchard it Is necessary ary to haul the packed fr fruit lit t f from r oni t two AT of to fifteen miles tinder loany conditions especially where roads are favorable vo rable motor trucks tire are best suited for this work the form farm wagon most commonly used Is equipped wath either en all ord ordinary hinry wagon bed or n d three polo pole frame and has it n capac ty of 15 11 barrels iloth both types of wagon should be equipped with springs preferably bolster springs for far careful handling of tho packed fruit Is bulto na important os as core care in ili the lie packing |