SEGMENT: ORCHARDS
Irene McGuire>ISM Interviews M-Z>ISM Interviews M-Z, Segment 1
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- ORCHARDS
- Owned 800 acres in 350 acres in peaches and apples. Also had some pasture for black angus, had five houses for workers to live in. Did not charge rent for the full time workers. Work 52 weeks out of the year, pruning, spraying for bugs & diseases, cleaning up down limbs. Orchard must be in good condition so that tractors and other machinery can get through the orchard. Never strip picked but waited till the fruit was ripe. Farm Managers would instruct which ones to pick. Started with 3 or 4 different peach varieties. Employees were paid per bushel but would get a nickel per bushel bonus if they stayed for the whole season. Varieties were Hale Haven, Hale Harrison and Red Haven Albertas. Different varieties were not because of flavor but due to different ripening times, clings have good flavor but they do not come off the seed, Apple varieties were Red Delicious and Golden Delicious wine saps these were all for the same ripening reason. Fried apples out of early sour apples. Big companies buy the early apples for apple sauce, Made own apple cider, Made Christmas packages. Always invited school groups to watch cider making.
