The box was a fancy one, filled with especially large cherries.
Other boxes in the shed were “jumble” pack. This, Mr. Hooper explained, meant that the fruit was not placed in any particular order.
After he had finished sorting cherries for the fancy box, the orchard owner told the girls to follow him.
Mr. Hooper led them to a low-hanging tree near the roadway. Two short ladders already were in place.
The orchard owner showed the girls how to strip cherries rapidly from the trees.
Even if a few stems fell into the pail, it would not matter, he said. Once the cherries reached the canning factory, they would be washed and stemmed.
“I’ll be back here in half an hour,” Mr. Hooper said. He handed each girl a tall tin bucket. “Just be careful. Don’t climb more than a few steps on the ladders.”
Veve and Connie mounted separate ladders. At first they went up only three steps. It was easy to reach the fruit.
“Let’s have a race,” Veve proposed. “I can pick more cherries than you, Connie!”