Appendix. 209 



should be no perceptible slackness. Yet if there is no bulge, an other- 

 wise perfect pack soon becomes slack from handling and shrinkage. 



Two essentials of a perfect pack are honesty and uniformity — that is, 

 the apples in the middle or bottom of such a pack are just as good as 

 those on top, and all perfect; all are of an even size and properly 

 colored; and every box is packed with the same degree of care and skill, 

 so that the buyer may feel certain that it is a case of "one seen, alL 

 seen." Too rapid work is frequently responsible for faulty packing, 

 especially where the oversight is not thorough. It is reported from some 

 places that packers put up more than 100 boxes per day, but ic is safe 

 to say that even the most expert can not put up more than seventy-five 

 perfect boxes in ten hours, and very few can do more than fifty well. 

 The latter figure means good wages to the packer. Ease and dispatch 

 in packing are much conditioned by the preliminary arrangements. If 

 the equipment is good and everything convenient, the results will be far 

 more satisfactory to all concerned. Attractive labels shown in Figure 

 23 add much to the appearance of the boxes, and are a valuable means 

 of advertising and building up a special trade. Whether labeled or not, 

 however, the box should be marked on the end with the name of the 

 variety, the number of apples contained, and the grade, especially if the 

 latter is anything but "first." At Hood River they add to these marks 

 the name and number of the grower, the number of the packer, and the 

 number of the inspector. Under-colored fruit is also marked "L" for 

 "Light." Each packer is assigned a number for the season and pro- 

 vided with a stamp with which he stamps it on each box as completed. 

 He also marks v/ith pencil the number of apples in the box to guide 

 the foreman, who does the rest of the stamping. Under this system 

 faults are easily traceable to the committer, and incompetents weeded 

 out. The inspection of the foreman is a check on the packers, and one 

 on the foreman may be had by the grower opening a few boxes out of 

 every hundred at random; or in case of a fruit union, this may be done 

 upon delivery at the warehouse. 



The marking of fruit packages is a pi*oper subject for legislation. 

 Not till false or misleading marking is visited with a legal penalty and 

 the law enforced by rigid inspection, will the honest packer and the 

 consumer be properly protected. Such a law, known as the Fruit 

 Marks Act, has been in successful operation in Canada some four years. 

 Every grower should work for such a law in this country. 



In piling and hauling the boxes care should be taken always to lay 

 them upon their sides, as the bulge in top and bottom allows the fruit 

 to be easily bruised if piled upon the latter. This precaution is especi- 

 ally important when loading into cars. 



Considerable labor is involved in loading a car. Free circulation 



about the boxes, together with perfect immobility, must be secured. 



Figure 23 shows how this is accomplished. A row of boxes is laid 



across the car with a space of several inches between each, and strips 



HOK.— 14 



