APPLES 



343 



site corners. * * * The top of the 

 table consists merely of burlap or canvas. 

 * * * It is an improvement if a dou- 

 ble thickness of the cloth is used and 

 the upper tacked at one end only, allow- 

 ing dirt and litter easily to be shaken off. 

 All the apples should be packed off the 

 table about once an hour to prevent 

 bruises wearing upon them. The danger 

 of bruises may also be lessened by edging 

 the table with pieces of hose pipe."* An- 

 other style of this type of packing table 

 is one that is long enough to accommo- 

 date two or more packers at either side; 

 but this style, because of several disad- 

 vantages, is less used. Instead of per- 

 manent box supports attached to the table. 

 a more convenient arrangement is secured 

 by the use of a skeleton bench made to 

 accommodate only two boxes, the same to 

 be drawn up alongside the table wherever 

 desired to accommodate either a packer 

 who packs from the right or one who 

 packs from the left. This bench can 

 also be built like the one in Fig. 18, with 

 an added incline at the back, to which 



* Idaho Expeiiment Station Bulletin .j4. IDOil. 



the packer can shift his finished box to 

 await the attendant. The revolving box 

 rack sometimes used with the burlap 

 table cannot be recommended, the skel- 

 eton bench being more simple. 



Some persons believe that in packing 

 from a burlap table rather than from an 

 orchard box or another apple box, a pack 

 more uniform is secured, because of the 

 larger number of apples spread over the 

 table from which the packer may select. 

 Also that the very extent to which the 

 apples are spread out on this will save 

 bruises from their being "pawed over" 

 by the packer to find apples of the size 

 that he is packing. In working at this 

 table, however, the packer frequently has 

 to reach, not only to his side, but over 

 into the hollow of the burlap, or behind 

 him for the fruit, and, especially at the 

 double, or continuous, style of this type 

 of table, the large sheet of apples that 

 is spread out beside him, rather than 

 being a benefit, sometimes but helps to 

 confuse him, so that he will be seen to 

 fumble over all the apples he can reach, 

 while perhaps the one closest to him is 

 the one he needs. Many growers have 



Fig. 17. 



Burlap Packing Table. 

 New York. 



Three Feet is Wide Euuugh. 



Cornell, Experiment Station Bulletin 298. 



