September, 191 1 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



209 



shortest possible time from the orchard. 

 Of course, in the case of pears and apples 

 this does not hold good. 



For packing peaches in boxes the 

 four and a half by eleven by eighteen 

 inches is the standard size of box. The 

 peaches are wrapped and packed in two 

 tiers, the diagonal pack being the only 

 pack that should be used. 



APPLE PACKS. 



In packing apples there are three well 

 defined styles of pack used, viz., the 



The "Diagonal" Pack. Figures 4 and 5 



These figures represent 107 and 120 apples to 

 the box. 



Straight pack, the offset, and the dia- 

 gonal. The straight pack should not be 

 considered a commercial pack. Every 

 apple is placed directly over another, and 

 there can be no give to the package with- 

 out more or less bruising. The apples 

 must be almost shaped alike to pack and 

 fill each row and tier. This pack is 

 shown in Figures one and two. The 

 apples can be placed either on their side 

 or on end. 



The offset is shown in Figure three. 

 Any sized apple can be packed in one of 



the many variations of this pack. Apples 

 carry well and it is a good commercial 

 pack for new beginners. The pack, how- 

 ever, that shows off the best and also 

 fcarries the fruit in as good shape as any 

 is the diagonal, as shown in Figures 

 four and five. The first layer is placed 

 as in Figure six and the second as in 

 Figure seven. Each apple rests on the 

 three below, and there is considerable 

 give without any bruising. These three 

 styles will allow of variations ranging 

 into the hundreds. 



The straight packed box will hold the 

 least number of apples of a given size, 

 and the diagonal the largest number, 

 there being less space wasted. Figures 

 eight and nine will show how the dia- 

 gonal pack is started. 



SECURING THE CROWN. 



One important feature of a good pack 

 Is the crown or bulge in the centre, '"^iiis 

 is a bugbear for the beginner, as it is 

 difficult to make the end rows come flush 

 with the ends of the box, or slightly 

 above them, and yet have the centre 

 about an inch and a half higher. To 

 secure a proper crown it is often neces- 

 sary to turn part of the apples in the 

 middle layer, or layers, flatwise, if being 

 packed on cheek, or vice versa ; yet skil- 

 ful selection of the larger apples for the 

 centre will usually make this unneces- 

 sary. 



In the case of very large apples it is 

 sometimes impossible to bring them low 

 enough at the ends. It then becomes 

 necessary to lay a cleat at each end under 

 the cover. Frequent resource to this, 

 however, is strong evidence of faulty 

 packing. A crown of an inch and a half 

 gives a bulge at top and bottom, when 



the hand is placed upon them and an 

 attempt made to move them back and 

 forth there should be no perceptible 

 slackness. Yet If there is no bulge, an 

 otherwise perfect pack will soon become 

 slack from handling and shrinkage. 



TWO ESSENTIALS 



Two essentials of a perfect pack are 

 honesty and uniformity — that is, the 



Start of the "Diagonal" Pack. Figs. 8 and 9 



The diagram on the left shows the start of a 

 2-2 diagonal pack, and that on the right a 

 3-2 pack. 



apples in the nilddle or bottom of a pack 

 should be just as good as those on top, 

 and all perfect. 



In packing pears the offset pack is 

 the one usually adopted as shown in 

 Figure ten. The box that should be 

 used for wrapped pears is eight by eleven 

 by twenty inches. The boxes should be 

 made of one piece material and prefer- 

 ably of spruce or basswood, free from 

 knots, using coated nails, as these do 

 not draw out easily. 



Pears should always be wrapped, as 

 they carry much better. The time con- 

 sumed in wrapping and packing the box 

 of pears illustrated, containing about 

 forty pounds net, will vary from eight 

 to fifteen minutes according to the size 

 of the pears and the skill of the packers. 



A Fine "Commerciar' Pack pf Pears. Fig. 10 



The "Diagonal" Pack. Figs. 6 and 7 



The upper diagram (6) represents the first and 

 third layers, and the lower (7) the second and 

 lourth. This pack gives 88 apples to the box. 



the cover is nailed on, of three-quarters 

 of an inch, which experience has shown 

 to be about right. 



A greater bulge than three-quarters of 

 an inch means too severe a pressure on 

 the fruit; a less, too great danger of its 

 becoming slack. In a properly packed 

 box the apples in each layer should be 

 so snugly fitted into each place that when 



To succeed in obtaining fancy prices, 

 the shipper must cater to special mark^'ts 

 and be prepared to give careful atten- 

 tion to sending out good fruit and al- 

 ways well packed. Too many of our 

 grow I > think that as long as the fru'i 

 Is placed in a box that it is packed. The 

 fruit in a poorly packed box would sell 

 better in baskets or barrels. 



