The Canadian Horricultun^ 



Vol. XXXVI 



NOVEMBER, 1913 



No. II 



Hints to Box Packers 



E. T. 



PACKING is placing fruit of the same 

 size solidly in boxes in such a man- 

 ner as to insure uniformity ofappear- 

 pearance, neatness and protection from 

 bruising. The purpose of careful pack- 

 ing is to make the box of fruit as attrac- 

 tive as possible to the purchaser, and ob- 

 tain thereby for it the highest possible 

 price. The few hints here given are 

 intended as a help and a guide in obtain- 

 ing a good commercial pack. 



The 2-2 Diagonal Pack. Fig. 1. 



I would emphasize first the point that 

 only neat and clean boxes of properly 

 guaged lumber should be used. It is a 

 faulty plan to use packing boxes "just 

 once" for packing the fruit in. 



If the fruit is not to be wrapped it is 

 advisable to line the box with lining 

 paper cut especially for this purpose. 

 Two pieces are required for each box, 

 and in placing the paper in make allow- 

 .ince for the bulge on the box after it is 

 nailed up. 



.'\ convenient packing table is impor- 

 tant. The surface area of the table 

 should not, as a rule, be greater than 

 three feet by four feet, as anything larger 

 will not allow two packers to reach all 

 fKjints of it without unnecessary stretch- 

 ing. Larger tables may be used if there 



Palmer, Ont. Dept. of Agriculture Toronto, 



are four packers to a table, but as a gen- 

 eral rule their use is to be avoided. There 

 is too much fruit in one pile, and further- 

 more two packers at one table can work 

 to better advantage than can four. 



THE METHOD 



The fruit should be carefully graded 

 before packing, particularly for inexper- 

 ienced packers. Good packers, too, will 

 do better and faster work where this is 

 done. Unless the fruit is sized proper- 

 ly it cannot be made to fit evenly and 

 snugly. It is essential that a man be 

 able to size ani apple properly, else he 

 will never make a packer. One should 

 grade for color as well as size and free- 

 dom from blemish. 



Stemming the top and bottom layers 

 of the box is a practice that has been 

 given more prominence than it deserves. 

 When apples are being packed in barrels 

 stemming is quite possibly an economic 

 operation, but for box packing, where 

 practically half the apples would have to 

 be stemmed, it is not — it is too costly. 

 It means an increase of approximately 

 one-third in the cost of packing. Rather 

 than stem the apples for the top and bot- 

 tom tiers, pack the fruit calyx-end up or 

 on its side. 



Space will not permit of a discussion 

 of styles of packs. The accompanying il- 

 lustrations show the principal style, the 

 diagonal, figure one, shows a two-two 

 diagonal pack, and figure three, a three- 

 two diagonal. The other two principal 

 styles of packs, the straight and off.set, 

 are defective, and should be avoided. But 

 remember that the style of pack is not so 

 important as having the fruit packed 

 well. That is a uniform, neat and at- 

 tractive pack with the least amount of 

 bruising possible. Vary the style of pack 

 to suit the shape and size of apple so that 

 the fruit may always be shown to advan- 

 tage in a good commercial pack. It be- 

 comes almost absolutely necessary to use 

 such packs as the riff-raff and offset at 

 times, as certain sizes and shapes of ap- 

 ples will not pack to advantage any other 

 way. Rut, as previously stated, such 

 packs are defective and therefore to be 

 avoided whenever possible. 



ESSENTIAL!? OF A GOOD PACK 



Whatever the style of packing u.sed — 

 whether it is straight, diagonal or offset — 

 the essentials of a good pack — firmness, 

 regularity, correct bulge, smoothness and 

 finish — should be kept constantly in mind 



361 



Ont. 



by the packer. The pack must be so 

 firm that there is no chance for the fruit 

 to shift in any way. To prevent this it 

 is almost necessary that each apple touch 

 all those surrounding it in the proper 

 way. This means that one style of pack, 

 and practically one size of apple, must be 

 used throughout for each box. On no 

 account should a box be started with one 

 size of apple and finished with another, 

 nor should the style of pack be changed, 

 otherwise unnecessary bruising is almost 

 sure to result. 



PSOPEK BULGE 



Proper bulge is one of the hardest 

 things for a beginner to secure. A bulge 

 of one and a quarter to one and one- 

 half inches, counting both top and bot- 

 tom, is sufficient. A bulge of two inches 

 or more is unnecessary and undesirable, 

 as the fruit is more liable to be bruised. 

 As bulge is an important point and one 



A 3-2 Diagonal Pack. Fig. 2 



This was the sweepstakes box. packed by the 



Norfolk County Fruit Growers' Association and 



shown at the Ontario Horticultural Exhibition 



In 1912. 



