164 COMMERCIAL GRADES OF CROP PRODUCTS 



Chautauqua, N. 7., grape figures. 



The grapes are shipped in 8-pound Climax baskets, which weigh, 

 when not filled, 20 ounces. A carload is 2800 to 3000 baskets. A 

 girl will pack from 100 to 150 baskets per day. One and one-fourth 

 cents per basket is paid for picking and packing. An average acre of 

 Concord grapes yields about 500 baskets. The average annual cost 

 of cultivating the vineyard up to picking time is $8. The expense of 

 picking, packing, packages, and carting is about $28 for the 500 bas- 

 kets. In bulk, the grapes are shipped in crates of 38 Ib. capacity ; 

 cost of picking in crates is about 2 cents for quantity representing 2} 

 baskets. The bunches are cut from the vines with shears made for 

 the purpose. In the packing house the bunches are trimmed. 



Citrus fruits. 



The specifications of the boxes used in the packing of California 

 oranges are shown in the railroad tariffs with an estimated weight, and 

 the box so shown is the only one used. The inside dimensions are 

 Hi in.Xlls in.X24 in., the slats are 26 in. long, but the thickness of 

 the ends and center-pieces is 2 in., making the inside length 24 in. 

 No. 2 Jumbo orange-box, 11^ in. X Yl\ in. X 24 in. 



The California box for lemons shown in the tariff is 10^ in. X 14 in. 

 X 25 in. Recently, the lemon shippers adopted a new-sized box 

 which packs lemons to better advantage, and this new box will be 

 used as soon as the accumulation of old stock is exhausted, and 

 the tariffs will be changed to show its dimensions, which are, lOf in. 

 X 13i in. X 25 in. inside. Old box, 3675 cu. in. ; new box, 3501ir 

 cu. in. 



Florida orange-box, 12 X 12 X 24| in. inside. Half-box, 5f X 12 

 X 24 in. 



Apple boxes (W. A. Taylor). 



The memoranda following (p. 165) show legal weights to the bushel 

 of apples and legal sizes of apple-boxes and barrels ; also the usual 

 standard (not legal) sizes of apple-boxes and the heaped-bushel ex- 

 pressed in cubic inches in such states as have expressed the capacity 

 of the heaped-bushel in that form. 



All these boxes when actually used are subject to considerable 

 variation in capacity, resulting from the use or non-use of cleats 

 under the covers. 



