AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1915-16 41 



Improved fruit boxes. As far as the design of suitable 

 fruit boxes for the Quetta trade is concerned, this portion 

 of the work may be said to be completed. The only thing 

 that remains is the discovery of the cheapest and most satis- 

 factory source of the box boards and cardboard. A large 

 amount of time has been spent in trying to discover whether 

 the box boards could not be obtained in India itself. After 

 numerous enquiries, an Indian firm was discovered whose 

 tenders were satisfactory. The execution of the orders, 

 however, left much to be desired and when enquiries were 

 made as to future supplies of a more satisfactory character 

 an attempt was made to increase the price far beyond the 

 value of the material. For the present, it has been found 

 more satisfactory to import the boards from Great Britain 

 in spite of the increase in cost due to the war and to the 

 rise in freights. 



The demand for the improved boxes showed a most 

 satisfactory increase during the summer of 1915, and about 

 3,176 boxes and 2,200 two pound punnets were sold. For 

 many of these packages the demand was greater than the 

 supply and the entire stock was sold long before the end of 

 the season. For 1916, a much larger supply has been pro- 

 cured, more than sufficient for any possible demand that is 

 likely to arise. 



The new cardboard boxes have proved a great success 

 and are in active demand. These can be used as return- 

 ables and last for three or four journeys to and from Quetta. 

 In this way, the expense is reduced and the cost of the 

 package each journey for five seers of choice peaches comes 

 to less than four annas. Another advantage of these card- 

 board boxes is that they are thief-proof and cannot be 

 tampered with in transit without immediate detection. 



One indirect result of the new boxes should be men- 

 tioned, namely, the stimulus they have given to new plant- 

 ing. A great demand for nursery stock has arisen and 

 many large fruit gardens are being put down. To meet 

 this, the number of trees issued by the Fruit Experiment 



