350 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OP PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



out looking. At the same time pick up 

 an apple with the left hand. Throw the 

 apple into the paper, and with some force, 

 in order to jerk up the edges of the paper 

 around the apple. Strike the center of 

 the palm with the side of the apple that 

 is to come up in the box. If the apple 

 is to be placed on the cheek, point the 

 blossom end between the thumb and fore- 

 finger; which will bring the apple placed 

 in the box on the opposite cheek, with 

 the stem end toward you. Close the 

 fingers as the apple is caught, and the 

 apple is already half wrapped. Now 

 brush the lower edges of the paper closely 

 over the apple with the thumb and fore- 

 finger of the left hand, at the same time 

 transferring the grasp from the right 

 hand to these fingers of the left. Now 

 by twisting both wrists toward the left 

 turn the hands completely over, until 

 the back of the right hand is up and the 

 back of the left hand down: at the same 

 time being sure to retain the grasp with 

 the left hand, allowing the apple to turn 

 in the right hand and not with it. Dur- 

 ing this act, not before, care for the 

 upper edges of the paper with the fin- 

 gers of the right hand. The apple is 

 now wrapped and ready to be placed into 

 the box with the right hand, the tails 

 of the paper down. One can readily see 

 that if the paper is picked up by the 

 left hand and the apple with the right, 

 these motions would be reversed. How- 

 ever, one is likely to need his stronger 

 hand for placing his apples in the box, 

 in order to make his pack firm: and with 

 most persons this means the right hand. 

 But one method of wrapping is given: 

 packers vary in the details. 



The box is usually packed with the 

 folds of the paper turned underneath in 

 all layers. Some .growers, however, de- 

 sire to have the folds turned up in the 

 bottom one or two layers. This is termed 

 "facing" the box, and is meant to make 

 the bottom of the box appear like the top. 

 The practice is to be discouraged, be- 

 cause of the diiflculty of making the folds 

 of the apples remain close enough about 

 the apple. Where the two styles of wraji 

 meet in the box, there is danger of bare 

 sides of apples coming into contact if the 



packer is at all careless. If the box of 

 apples is likely to be displayed and it is 

 desirable that a certain side should be 

 opened for the purpose, the upper side 

 can be stamped with the word "top." 

 Apple growers of the Hood River district 

 practice this method to some extent. Care 

 should be taken that the labeling on the 

 end of the box is right side up. Where 

 facing is practiced, the apple is thrust 

 into the paper with the side of the apple 

 that is intended to be down in the box 

 turned down in the palm. This is oppo- 

 site from where facing is not being done. 

 The free hand is then brought over the 

 apple toward the packer, brushing down 

 the upper edges of the paper and turning 

 the apple half way over in the palm. It 

 is in position to be placed in the box, the 

 tails of the paper up. 



Stamps and Labels 



The grower will need a set of rubber 

 stamps comprising all the numbers cor- 

 responding to the sizes that he will be 

 likely to pack, also a stamp for each 

 variety that he grows, and one for each 

 of the two or three grades that he will 

 pack. These should make figures and 

 letters not less than one-half inch in 

 height. He will also need a stamp for 

 his name and address. If he has many 

 boxes to go over, a roller stamp for this 

 purpose will pay, as a time saver. In 

 some states and in Canada the presence 

 of the grower's or the packer's name on 

 the box is obligatory by law. Red ink 

 for stamping, and especially green, should 

 not be used. Letters made with these 

 colors on natural wood are diflHcult to 

 distinguish in a dim light. Violet or 

 black are to be preferred. About as many 

 orders of arrangement are employed in 

 stamping as there are Western apple 

 growing districts. For the sake of sim- 

 plicity and neatness, and for the sake of 

 accuracy and convenience in handling at 

 the warehouse, also in the stock room 

 of the dealer, we recommend that all 

 stamping be done on one end of the box, 

 and in the order illustrated in Fig. 25, 

 the other end being occupied by only the 

 lithograph. This, of course, would be 

 pasted on with the top toward the top 



