September, 1921 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 9 



Apple Packing House Needs of the Northwest 



By Specialists of the Bureau of Markets, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



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I "The construction of v:ell-flanned | 



I and zvell-equiffed facking hoiisei is | 



I essential to the economical handling | 



I oj boxed affles in the Northzvest. | 



I The recent building frogram has not | 



I keft face with the demand oj the in- I 



i d us try, and severe losses have been i 



i sustained on account oj limited jacil- | 



I ities jor facking and jor storing un- | 



I facked jruit temforarily. The | 



I situation has been aggravated by the | 



I e?ior?nous increase in froduction dur- | 



I ing the fast jew years, as well as by | 



I the serious shortage oj transfortation | 



I equifment." \ 



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SPECIALISTS of the Bureau of Mar- 

 kets and Crop Estimates, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, thus sum 

 up the results of their study of methods and 

 practices which have given the greatest sat- 

 isfaction in commercial operations. Full 

 details of the work are contained in Farm- 

 ers' Bulletin 1204, Northwestern Apple 

 Packing Houses, recently issued by the de- 

 partment. 



Apple packing houses may be classified in 

 two groups, individual packing houses, 

 which are more commonly known as ranch 

 packing houses, and community houses, op- 

 erated either by co-operative associations or 

 by Individuals. The percentage of the 

 crop packed in community houses is in- 

 creasing steadily, and though no definite 

 figures are available, careful estimates show 

 that the amount increased from about one- 

 fourth of the total crop in 1916 to approxi- 

 mately one-half of the crop in 1919. 



The same basic principles of construction 

 and equipment apply to all types of houses, 

 and the equipment and methods of opera- 

 tions in an orderly way, moving in one di- 

 rection from the receiving point to the 

 storage or car. 



COMMUNITY packing houses are espe- 

 cially desirable in the apple-growing 

 districts of the Northwest, where the acre- 

 age is usually concentrated in the river 

 valleys, and where individual holdings with 

 few exceptions are small, ranging from 5 to 



Small type of frost proof Northwest apple packing house. Although constructed of tile, this type 

 of house is both poorly lighted and ventilated. 



15 acres. A group of growers by joining 

 forces may easily finance the erection of a 

 modern packing establishment. In a com- 

 munity house it is possible to perfect an or- 

 ganization of trained men to bring the 

 grading and packing operations to a uni- 

 form high standard. The operations are 

 generally on a scale large enough to war- 

 rant the employment of competent work- 

 men to supervise the various operations, and 

 the cost of inspection is greatly reduced 

 by having this work done at a central point. 

 The cost of packing in a community house 

 is not always lower than where the work is 

 done by the individual, but it usually can 

 be done more rapidly. 



One important factor in favor of central 

 houses is better conditions for the employ- 

 ment of labor. Very few of the smaller 

 ranches have adequate housing and subsist- 

 ence facilities for the care of their addi- 

 tional help during the packing season. Some 

 growers have tried hauling the packers back 

 and forth from town each day, but this 

 practice is not satisfactory because much 

 time is lost on the road. Then, too, help is 

 usuallv at such a premium that if one per- 

 son is tardy in reporting, the grower will 

 detain the rest of the crew awaiting his 

 arrival. As the work is generally paid by 

 the piece, the workers are inclined to seek 

 employment where they can put in full 

 time and have comfortable living quarters. 



Large type of Northwest apple packing and air 



frost 



cooled storage house. Only the latter, however is 

 proof 



^ I ■'HE best site for a ranch packing house 

 -■- usually is found near the residence and 

 other farm buildings, close to the main trav- 

 eled road. Such a location is particularly 

 desirable where there is a common stomge 

 house in connection with the packing house, 

 as the storage house is usually air-cooled 

 and requires the attention of some one to 

 operate the ventilators during the storage 

 season. If the house is a great distance from 

 the ranch house it is less likely to be cared 

 for properly. 



Wood, brick, concrete, or tile are used 

 in the construction of packing houses, the 

 choice of materials being determined by the 

 cost and the fire risk. As the packing and 

 storage rooms are usually parts of the same 

 building, the same material is ordinarily 

 used in its construction, although the stor- 

 age room is insulated, and the packing room 

 is not. 



The most important feature in the con- 

 struction of the packing house, but the most 

 commonly neglected, is the arrangement for 

 proper lighting. The most efficient work is 

 possible only when the room is properly il- 

 luminated at all times. Most people under- 

 stand that dim lighting interferes with the 

 accuracy and efficiency of grading opera- 

 tions, but comparatively few realize that 

 the glare of a direct light is equally bad. 

 Hipped-roof skylights and high windows 

 in sufficient numbers to light the interior 

 thoroughly are the most satisfactory meth- 

 ods of lighting. The hipped-roof skylight 

 is preferable to a straight, pain glass, as the 

 style of construction permits it to receive 

 light throughout the day. 



THE successful co-ordination of the 

 many different operations involved in 

 packing Northwestern boxed apples requires 

 in each case a study of local conditions. It 

 is impossible to lay down certain princi- 

 ples which should be followed always; but 

 where it is necessary to determine precisely 

 what style of construction or type of equip- 

 ment is best suited to the particular needs 

 each packing house becomes a separate prob- 

 (Concluded on page 21) 



