Picker Lingo

I receive got been thinking lately nearly the unlike phrases too price that are thrown around inwards the orchard.  There look to hold upwards a pose out of idioms too expressions that are innate to a pickers too orchardists (that itself may hold upwards my ain term).  Much of this lingo seems to receive got implanted itself inwards my encephalon without me fifty-fifty existence aware, equally if the deed of picking apples was some how an unconscious course of pedagogy inwards linguistics.
Realizing this, I see it would hold upwards fun to kickoff a glossary of these words too phrases.   I receive got exclusively started amongst those that readily popped into my head, I promise to proceed to add together to this listing too if at that spot are other pickers out at that spot reading this I welcome additions or revisions.  If you lot are non a picker or familiar amongst price I promise you lot volition soundless notice it entertaining. 

• Bottoms - all apples that tin hold upwards picked without using a ladder.
• Color Picking - selective picking of exclusively rip apples, leaving greenish ones for a later alternative or for cider.  Usually apples taken during a colouring fabric alternative must hold upwards 50 to seventy-five percent carmine or blushed.   
• Drive Row - the infinite inwards betwixt rows of apple tree trees where the tractor driver places bins for picking into.

• Drops - apples that receive got fallen from the tree earlier an apple tree picker got to them.  Ideally this is a real modest pct of apples, nevertheless particularly amid apples that hang loosely to the tree such equally McIntosh, this tin hold upwards quite a few.  Traditionally drops were picked upwards too pressed for cider, nevertheless amongst the E. coli scare too the advent of to a greater extent than stringent standards, most orchards no longer practise this. 
• Escaladder - my favorite spanglish give-and-take from the orchard, a combination betwixt the English linguistic communication too Castilian give-and-take for ladder. 

• Gourd Ass Green - this a phrase I receive got to include, it was coined yesteryear the crew leader dorsum inwards Wisconsin.  I promise I am remembering it correctly.  It was used to depict apples that should not receive got been picked during colouring fabric picking.  I am non certain if the phrase made feel to me at the time, simply it seemed to coil of the natural language nicely.     
• Gravy - incredibly skilful picking.  Usually gravy is characterized yesteryear large apples on modest trees that create non ask whatever ladder work.  Gravy nevertheless tin also consists of to a greater extent than normal sized apples if they are slow to alternative (don't spur) too create non bruise easily (so they tin hold upwards picked faster).  Good "gravy" varieties are oftentimes Cortland, Empires, Mutsu too Jonagolds amid others.  Note: Many seasoned pickers I receive got spoken to tell they prefer lager trees rather than smaller ones when at that spot is a skilful crop displace at that spot is less bending over too a skilful ladder laid tin oftentimes yield a total bucket without moving from 1 spot.

•  Gravy Grabber - a picker who ever seems to gravitate towards the best picking when given the opportunity. 
  
• Ladder Set - all the apples that tin hold upwards reached from your ladder.  Smaller trees oftentimes exclusively receive got 1 ladder set, whereas larger trees oftentimes ask iv or 5 to achieve all the apples.  Knowing where to house your ladder is of import for stability sake, simply knowing where to house a ladder to maximize picking tin also hateful the divergence betwixt 2 ladder sets or 5 inwards a larger tree.
• Marbles - unusually modest apples, commonly works life on trees that are sickly or were non thinned properly during the summer.  Picking marbles is highly undesirable because it takes much longer to alternative a bushel too modest apples are much heavier inwards the picking bucket.  
• Spurring - occurs when the "spur" comes off the tree along amongst the apple.  This is undesirable both because it causes the picker to dull downward too take the spur (ideally) earlier putting it inwards the picking bucket too because the spur is the origin of side yesteryear side years bloom too after fruit.  If also many spurs come upwards off the tree during picking the side yesteryear side years crop volition hold upwards greatly reduced.   
• Stem Pull - a large no-no for pickers, particularly when it comes to Red Delicious, stalk pulls come about when the stalk stays on the tree instead of coming off amongst the apple.  Unlike spurring, stems pulls create non touching on the tree, simply amongst out their stems apples volition non hold inwards storage equally long.
• Stripping - 1 of a picker's favorite words to hear.  When you lot strip a tree you lot accept all the apples, equally opposed to size or colouring fabric picking when you lot exclusively accept those apples that are suitable to hold upwards sold for eating too exit those that are also modest or greenish for cider. 
  
• Tops - all the apples that tin non hold upwards reached easily (key word) yesteryear standing on the ground.   
• Walking on Marbles - picking inwards trees where the bulk of apples receive got already fallen prior to your arrival.  In the worst cases too then many apples receive got fallen that they cast a corporation layer nether the tree, simply receive got maintained plenty structural integrity that they create non rhythm out nether your weight, simply rather coil similar marbles.  I would venture to gauge that every long-time apple tree picker has lost at to the lowest degree 1 bucket patch walking on marbles.  

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