HORTICULTURE 197 



comes to the producer who would compel his good fruit to sell his 

 culls for him. (Y. B. 1901.) 



THE PACKING OF APPLES IN BOXES. 



Boxes. Two sizes of boxes are used in the west, the standard 

 and the special. These differ slightly in width and height (one half 

 of an inch) as well as in length, which adapts them to the different 

 sizes of apples. If, therefore, an apple, because of its size, will not 

 pack well in one size of box, it certainly will pack in the other. Most 

 of the western growers have a supply of both sizes on hand. The 

 dimensions of these boxes are as follows: (a) Standard, lO^xll 1 /^ 

 x!8 inches inside measurement; (b) Special, 10x11x20 inches inside 

 measurement. Material. Ends, % inch; sides % inch; tops and 

 bottoms, two pieces each, ^4 inch thick. There should be four cleats 

 for each box, two at the top and two at the bottom. The sides of the 

 box should be nailed with four nails at each end of each side. The 

 cleats should be put neatly on the box and four nails driven through 

 them and through the top or bottom into the ends. Cement-coated 

 or rosined nails are preferable, either six-penny or five-penny. A 

 third size of box is offered for sale in the east. It conforms to the 

 bill to regulate the size of barrels and boxes and the grading of fruit, 

 a bill which has been pending before Congress for two years. The 

 .bill specifies that the box shall contain 2,342 cubic inches, and the 

 inside dimensions of this box as sold are approximately 10^2x11% 

 x!9^ inches. A few other sizes differing from those mentioned 

 above are sold by manufacturers in the east. Odd sizes, however, 

 should be avoided. The boxes are delivered in the shooks and nailed 

 up by the growers themselves. The names and addresses of manu- 

 facturers can be secured from the advertisements in the farm 

 papers. 



Lining Paper. The box is lined on the bottom, sides, and top 

 with a white paper called "lining paper." No lining is placed at 

 the ends. Lining paper is made from "white news" in different 

 sizes, according to the box: for the standard, 17%x26 inches, and for 

 the special, 19%x26 inches. This paper can be purchased of any 

 wholesale paper dealer, and should cost approximately S 1 /^ cents 

 per pound, or about $1.20 per thousand sheets. One piece of lining 

 paper is put into the box in such a way as to cover a little more than 

 one half of the bottom and all of one side, enough still being left to 

 fold over a little beyond the center when the box is packed. Another 

 piece is put into the box in a similar manner on the other side. And 

 then in order to prevent the tearing of the lining paper along 

 the sides at the bottom, when the top is nailed on and the bottom 

 bulges, a plait or crease is made in the lining paper at this place. 

 The plaits lie across the corners and provide plenty of slack. In the 

 west some growers plait the lining in this manner; others do not. 



Layer Paper. The general practice in the use of the layer paper 

 is to place one sheet on the bottom and one on the top, inside the 

 lining paper. In some cases, however, it is necessary to use layer 

 paper between the layers of apples to raise the pack, so as to come 

 out right at the top. The height of the pack will guide the packer 



