The Orchard and Vineyard

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 60, Issue 1, 15 January 1940, Page 56

The Orchard and Vineyard

Contributed by the. Horticulture Division

Orchard Notes

Handling the Crop

MOST of the work connected with IVJ. the current season’s fruit crop has now been completed, and the main apple and pear harvesting will soon begin. Cultivation for the season may cease, and cover crops, where required, should be sown immediately, as previously advised. During February, and possibly into March, it will be necessary in northern districts to maintain an arsenate of lead coverage on apples and pears because of the danger of a heavy infestation of codling moth from a second brood. Red mite and apple leaf-hopper should be watched for and dealt with before their increase assumes dangerous proportions. On no account delay spraying for red mite until leaf injury occurs. \ Summer-oil 1-100 will satisfactorily control red mite if thoroughly applied. A good summer control will prevent such a heavy deposit of winter eggs as to warrant an - application of the more expensive winter-oil for their destruction. Results of Season . The harvesting season should pro--vide - an- opportunity for studying the results of the year’s operations connected with the actual production of the crop. The orchard records may be' completed by making notes on the condition of the trees themselves and also the condition of the fruit, thereby arriving .at some conclusions as to the efficacy of the disease control measures applied. ' ' It is important to note - the condition of foliage towards the end of the sea-

son, as it is a sure? index of the general health of the tree and the degree of control of foliage diseases obtained. It will also answer the question as to whether or not the sprays applied are causing any serious injury not actually apparent at the time of application, but which may have had - a cumulative effect, . becoming more apparent as the season advanced. ■; Close observation should be made at the time of picking for the" presence of San Jose scale and other scale insects which attack fruits. Trees should be marked for treatment where affected fruits are observed.; : Handling the Crop z Fruit , folr . the . fresh fruit - market must be accurately . graded < according to the grading standards set, and must be carefully packed to. ensure - that full weight is given and that the minimum damage will occur: to. fruit in transit.;: 'ln addition, the ' grower ■ has a ' responsibility in delivering fruit in the best' possible condition in whatever circumstances pertain. 7 Much may

happen to fruit from the time it is fully grown , until it is actually -placed in the retail shop to damage it in such a way as to cause actual waste or reduce its value. However, by the cooperation of all concerned in the handling of fruit much may be accomplished. . in ~ protecting a . perishable article. . It is inevitable that under the emergency : ’ conditions applying at present quantities of fruit may have to be retained in ordinary storage for longer periods than is normally desirable, and it is in such circumstances that more than ordinary care is required by the grower in eliminating from the pack any fruit. damaged in such a way as to impair its keeping quality, in studying maturity,. and in exercising care of the fruit after picking until delivered so as not . .to. hasten maturity subsequently., ~n Maturity for Picking As ; a general practice, fruit for export or cool storage should be picked

at a stage , before a fully-ripened condition is reached, but fruit for immediate local market requirements should be allowed to attain greater maturity. It is a growing practice by fruit exporters to leave. the fruit remaining after the export pick to tree-ripen fully. Twenty-five to thirty per cent, of an apple crop is often left in this way without serious dropping. ■ ■ ■" ■. -"■' ■: ' - .; , i , ■ ■ ■ Under the existing conditions it will be .an advantage to the marketing authority to extend . the harvesting season as much as possible by revising opening dates somewhat, by slightly delaying the first picking of mid-season varieties, and by leaving a greater percentage of the crop for the late pickings of tree-ripened fruit. The delay in starting may be increased according to the lateness of a variety. Picking should be a matter of selection according to maturity and size to secure the most out of a crop. . Much damage may be caused by careless or inexperienced pickers, and a' little instruction will often . prevent such . damage. i - Common causes of damage are: — (1) Dropping fruit into picking bags instead of placing them in carefully; (2) filling bags too full, especially when working on ladders; (3) roughly emptying bags into picking boxes; (4) using rough and broken picking boxes and over-filling; (5) jolting on unsuitable orchard trailers and light trucks. A good trailer or orchard truck is an important part of the outside equipment. ' , Fruit should not remain exposed to the sun while waiting for cartage into the shed or a cool place for temporary storage, but should always be stacked conveniently for cartage, taking advantage of all the tree shade possible.

Care in Grading Extreme care should be exercised in handling the fruit through all operations in the packing shed. In the first instance, fruit-grading machines should be kept free from accumulating dirt ,by ' frequent cleanings, especially of those parts against which the . fruit moves. / Growers are often unaware of the damage caused by grit and dirt on rollers' of sorting tables , and on the rollers in the screw-type of grading machines, as the marking of fruit does not become apparent until some little time after the packing when the abrasions caused have had time to discolour, by which time the fruit is actually on the market. , This serious' type of injury may be eliminated by exercising the necessary care. It is not too often to clean rollers during each interval in the working day.■.. Tipping fruit on to the grading machine hopper should be done carefully, and the fruit should be eased down from the tipped case by means of a canvas flap. Bins on the grading , machine should not foe allowed to overfill as packers are inclined to rake down fruit hurriedly, a common cause of stem-puncture. . .. :■ ' ■ ' ■ . •'r' Grading The grading and packing of fruit must be done, in an exacting manner to give a proper separation into the standard grades. Even a small percentage of lower grade or injured fruit in a grade is sufficient justification for rejection or degrading. Graders should check up on the fruit in the bins occasionally to satisfy themselves that the standard is being maintained. In most instances the “fancy” , grade predominates so naturally when oper-

ating a grading machine that this grade should be allowed to run through from the sorting table to the feed belt while the operators pick out rejects and lower grade fruit and select the “extra fancy” to be placed on another belt. This procedure leads to more accurate grading, and a better maintenance of the standards than when the higher grade is allowed to run through and only the lower grades are picked out.. Packing Much care is required in packing to avoid excessive bruising. Packing fruit incorrectly sized and “angle” packing are too common, causes of packing bruises, which are quite avoidable by exercising just ordinary care. Fruit in one package should have no greater variation than ? inch. When fruit is accurately sized and each placed on its cheek squarely in the case to preserve “pockets” and the pack is consolidated as the case is filled, especially by pressing the ends and sides, a reasonably tight pack is secured and little, if any, damage should result. An endeavour should always be made to “crown” the pack so that, while providing sufficient bulge, the ends are not so high that they will receive any crushing during lidding. Advantage can always be taken of the size variation allowable in packing the topmost layers by selecting smaller fruits for the ends to keep them lower. Shed conditions should always be perfectly hygienic. No reject, rotting, or diseased fruit should be allowed to remain indefinitely in or near the packing shed; otherwise fungal rotting in the packed fruit is likely to be encouraged, and thus greatly depreciate the value of a consignment.

N. J. ADAMSON,

District

Supervisor, Nelson.