BETTER FRUIT 



AN ILLUSTRATED l\[AGAZIi\E PUBLISHED MONTHLY IN THE INTEREST OF MODERN, PROGRESSIVE ERUIT GROWING AND MARKETING 



Packing Apples 



By E. H. Shepard, Editor "Better Fruit," Hood River, Oregon. 



BETTKR FRUIT several years ago 

 published the first edition of any 

 horticultuial paper devoted ex- 

 clusively to packing apples, peaches, 

 pears and cherries in boxes. Since 

 then it has been the custom of "Better 

 Fruit" to publish annually an edition 

 devoted to packing. These editions 

 have met with such splendid reception 

 that it seemed wise to bring out a new 

 edition on the subject each year, which 

 has been done except in 1915. Since 

 then so many recpiests have come in 

 and the demand was so strong that it 

 seems atlvisable to again devote space 

 to this subject in this issue, in advance 

 of the apple-packing season. Inas- 

 much as there are so many expert and 

 trained packers in every section where 

 apples are packed in boxes; it does not 

 seem necessary to go into details as 

 we usually have done in the past, and 

 therefore in this issue we are present- 

 ing illustrations which show practically 

 all of the conunercial packs that are 

 generally used at the present time, with 

 two or thiee exceptions, namely, the 

 100 and 125 apples to the box. The 

 100 pack is composed of four rows of 

 apples in a layer, with five apples to 

 the row and five layers deep, making 

 100 apples to the box. The 125 pack is 

 packed in a similar way, with five rows 

 of apples, five apples to the row and 

 five layers in a box, making a total of 

 125 apples to the box. These are the 

 only two packs which have been intro- 

 duced in recent years and are the only 

 ones comparatively new. 



Practically all apples are now packed 

 diagonal pack. The Northwest has 

 done away with the California Special, 

 packing all of its apples in what is 

 known as the Oregon Box or North- 

 west Standard, which is 10 V2 by 11 M; 

 by 18 inside measurement. With the 

 illustrations in this number, it is com- 

 ])aratively a simple matter for any man, 

 even with a limited experience in pack- 

 ing, to figure out how to put up each 

 one of the different packs, as each illus- 

 tration is an explanation in itself 

 which is clearer than anything which 



could be written. With these illustra- 

 tions and the assistance of a trained 

 packer, any man with an ordinarily 

 good eye should be able to be a fairly 

 good packer in a reasonably short time. 

 Many inexperienced men in one season 

 have learned not only to put up a first- 

 class pack, but have gained suliicient 

 speed so as to be able to pack anywhere 

 from 50 to 80 boxes a day of ten hours. 



The consumer, and the trade which 

 is even more particular than the con- 

 sumer, now demands a pack that is both 

 standard and uniform. Uniformity re- 

 fers more particularly to the size. 

 Consequently packers should be very 

 careful in putting up any of the packs 

 to have all of the apples as near the 

 same size as possible. Slight deviations 

 in size are permissible where necessary 

 at the end of the box, particularly on 

 the top layer for the purpose of re- 

 ducing the swell at the end so as to 

 prevent bruising. Grading machines 

 have become a big factor in developing 

 more uniform packing. A number of 

 good grading machines are now being 

 made which will sort the apples almost 

 perfectly as to size. Some machines are 

 built on the measurement principle, 

 while some grade on the weighing prin- 

 ciple. The weighing principle is very 

 reliable and the measuring principle is 

 also very reliable, particularly where 

 the measuring device is arranged so 

 that all of the apples will be measured 

 the same way. By that is meant, in 

 order for the measuring machine to 

 give exact results, it should measure all 

 of the apples either from cheek to 

 cheek or from stem to calyx. Some 

 machines are built so as to measure 

 both ways at the same time. 



Packing is purely mechanical, and as 

 already stated in this article, there are 

 sufficient packers in the Northwest who 

 understand the business sufficiently 

 well to train any additional number 

 that may be required to handle this 

 year's crop. From an experienced 

 packer, a novice in three or four days' 

 instruction can learn the principles of 

 jiacking sufficiently well to put up a 



Famv Pack of Winter Nclis and Beurre Easier Pears. The sizes are as follows: 

 Winter" Nelis, 180, 5-tier; three boxes of Heurrc Easier, sizes 08, 72 and 82, all 1-lier. 



first-class packed box if he will only 

 be careful in doing it to take his time 

 about it. A novice should bear this 

 in mind and never forget it: "Haste 

 makes waste." In other words, if the 

 novice endeavors to pack fast, his pack 

 will be poor. Packing apples is like 

 learning to write. You learn to write 

 slowly but correctly; you must do so 

 if you ever expect to write a good hand. 

 It is the same with packing; you must 

 learn to pack correctly, no matter how 

 slow you go at first, if you ever expect 

 to put up a good pack. If you follow 

 this advice and go slowly, speed will 

 come of itself and in a few weeks you 

 will not only be able to put up a first- 

 class pack but do it rapidly. 



The other feature of packing which 

 is of prime importance is grading. In 

 many districts, the packer does his own 

 grading. However, with the advent of 

 the grading machines, experts on grad- 

 ing are now employed to grade the 

 apples into the Extra Fancy, Fancy and 

 C grade, relieving the packer of this 

 responsibility to a certain extent, but 

 the packer should alwaj s bear in mind 

 that it is his duty, if he wants to be 

 square with himself and the man he is 

 working for, not to pass any apple in 

 the grade that does not belong there. 



Packing is pretty well understood; 

 grading is not so well understood, and 

 furthermore grading has never been as 

 thoroughly and properly done in the 

 past as it should be. Therefore it is 

 to be hoped that this year will show 

 marked improvement on grading apples. 

 Improvement is absolutely necessary. 

 Three or four inferior apples in a box 

 spoil the grade and reduce the value of 

 the box to the value of the next lower 

 grade. 



Experienced men shoidd be used for 

 grading. The grower is responsible 

 for the grade. There is no job in the 

 orchard which should have closer 

 attention on the part of the grower 

 than the job of grading, drading is a 

 matter of judgment, but there are rules 

 and regulations covering it. so that any 

 nuui who wants to can learn to grade 

 and grade properly. There is nothing 

 connected with harvesting a box of 

 apples more important than making the 

 grade correct and true. In other words, 

 standaiili/ation is demanded by the 

 coMsimiing i)ublic, and if we expect to 

 get the price for a box of Extra Fanc\ 

 auples the grade nuist be absolutely 

 Extra Fancy in every respect, without 

 a single excei)tion. 



While discussing the subject of grad- 

 ng it also seems proper to discuss 

 )riell.\ the dilferent grack'S. Extra 

 l'"anc>. generalh' speaking, is fairly 



(Continued on page 7.) 



