That the central packing house method is the best one is thus readily seen. 

 For, owing to employment of experienced packers, and the close supervision of all 

 the packing operations, a much better and a more uniform pack is usually obtained. 

 The cost, too, of packing is considerably reduced tlirongh division of labor and 

 handy equipment. 



Another point in favor of the central packing house is that carload lots can 

 be made up more easily and with greater economy, especially if the packing house 

 is built alongside a railroad, as it should be. Fruit can then be loaded directly 

 from the packing house into cars at a great saving in cost. 



7' 



-^■ 



L 



A T 



^ 



y_ 





M 



Unpd.ckcd 

 fruit 



E^] 



Dotr 



.Door 



Unpacfftd 

 Fruit. 



PcLcfred 

 f^ruit 



_i 



PJ>,.T. 



7>i,.r 



Doer I 



si-ii/inf r 



.^rittiKO f- 



[75 

 % ^ox l,ccmlrcr 





t>*§r 



Colli 



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w 





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1 



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Fig. 3. Ground plan of a Packing House, 40' x 60'. 



Lastly, the fruit can be kept under far better conditions of storage until 

 shipment than are possible by the grower. 



Against the central packing house method, it may be said that ordinarily the 

 fruit is subjected to more handling than where it is packed in the orchard. Also 

 when packing in the orchard the grower can personally see that the fruit which 

 he thought would pack largely No. 1 is really nearly all No. 2. Thus he is pre- 

 vented from kicking and further taught to grow a higher grade of fruit. 



However, the many evident advantages serve to more than coun'terbalance 

 these two disadvantages. Also if the fruit is handled carefully at all times, as it 

 should be, there will be little, if any, extra bruising of the fruit resulting from 

 the extra handling necessary in the central packing house method. And if the 

 growers are progressive, the second disadvantage will carry little weight. 



Grading. 

 Without good, even grading, rapid box-packing is impossible. To do good 

 work and do it rapidly, the packer must have before him an even run of apples in 

 point of size and quality. In fact, packing, simplified, is simply grading and 

 sizing, then placing the fruit in the box so that it fits systematically and snugly. 

 Unless the fruit is sized properly, it cannot be made to fit systematically. It is 



