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Patel oie 41 a da OO Tweeter, October 12th, 1961 By Jim Bell Celborne, the Apple Centre It has been said repeatedly that there were more apples shipped from Colborne than any ‘other place in Canada and I ‘think that, through the years, ‘the statement ‘had a lot of truth in it. As the apple season is here ‘now, my thoughts naturally go ‘pack to fifty or more years ago. ‘when the handling of the apple crop was very different to the methods used to-day. Early in the season, usually in blossom time. you would see the apple buyers scouting around sizing up the prospects of the crop. Most orchards were bought en bloc, ‘and bought early. It was quite a ‘gamble. A buyer would go through an orchard, estimate the potential crop and make the owner an offer. If it was a good: season and he was lucky, he made money. If not, well, quite often he went broke. _ Yes, it was a gamble alright, however, most of the buyers were experts at their business the apples were ready, out picking and packing the apples. A gang might consist of any- where from four to five to ten ‘ m9 ae | jing The rane apples ante be ‘put in the barrels, the foreman would then face the top with the nicest ones, the top would be pressed down, the hoops tighten- ed and the quality marked on the end of the barrel as No. 1 or No. 2. They would then be ready to be drawn in for ship- ment or storage. The culls were usually sold to some evapora- tor, of which there were quite a few around the country. Some- times a good many apples were Placed in storage, repacked in. the winter, and then shipped when a better price was to be obtained. Speaking about Picking apples and gangs, I went out two sea- sons when about seventeen years old. We were picking for Tohn Coyle and our foreman was Geo. Delyea. He was a good foreman, too, one of the best. His men al- ways got along fine together and had some good times too. It was customary for the dwner of the orchard to put up the pickers when there. As a general rule, we were used well, plenty of good food and a comfortable place to sleep. Of course some- times we landed in a place where we looked upon as the toughest of the tough and used that way too. I remember one place where they put nine of us to sleep in I REMEMBER Reminiscences of Colborne the attic. There were two old double beds and a cot. You can imagine what 2a comfortable night we had. I don’t think the rest of the household had a more comfortable ane for we raised aracket all night. Of course, that was an exception. The next place made up for it. They used us just as if we be- longed there. It was exception- ally warm and they gave us our supper out doors. It was just like a picnic. There was one fly in the ointment however, or to, be correct, I should say on the bun. The buns hed currants in /them and the chap sitting right across from me reached for one and just as he opened his mouth to take a bite a nice big fly lit on it, so in went bite, fly and all. I was just in the act of taking a swallow of tea. You can imagine what happened. I chok- ed on the tea and it flew half way across the table. The boss said, “For Heaven’s sake, Jim, can’t you behave yourself even at the table”. When I told them aig | tng they laughed as much jaatines the peking rn to era ee grote) picked apples with a good out} deal of pleasure for we really had a good time and made some mighty good friends.