Ho\v BritisK Columbia Fruit is PacKed 



B. T. Boies, Vernon, BritisK Columbia 



PRACTlvSIXG and demonstrating 

 with the natural fruit is practically 

 the only way fruit growers can 

 learn to pack prv>perly. The packing of 

 a box of apples by a novice is some- 

 thing he will never forget. He soon sees 

 that the placing of a few small speci- 

 mens in the holes to fill the case is a 

 great mistake. Do not use small stuff 

 to fill jn with. Call it a cull in the start, 

 and save trouble and poor returns on a 

 shipment of good fruit. 



The California and Oregon method of 



the body again place -1-1- ; this place- 

 ment must be in the "holes" between 

 the first three placed in the box. This 

 is the start of the second tier. By plac- 

 ing one orange in each space in this tier, 

 we get in twelve ; tier number three has 

 13; tier number four has 12; tier num- 

 ber five has 13 ; thus, one-half the side is 

 fdled, making 13-12-13-12-13 = 63. Re- 

 verse ends, lay out as before, we should 

 again have 63, completing the box of 126. 

 Follow this same rule with the pack- 

 ing of apples of certain sizes, laying 



comes accustomed to the "sizing," he 

 soon sees where, if he has used too small 

 an apple, or too large, it can be changed 

 and one to fit the hole will ratifv mat- 

 ters. Thus, with packing pears with 

 paper, by the placing of the first three 

 in the end of case, or the first four, then 

 three, the fruit locks itself in verv 

 readily. 



I have packed the Fameuse and the 

 Alexander in the Canadian standard box 

 while demonstrating near Montreal, and 

 turned the box upside-down, and back 



First Tier of Apples in Box 



Second Tier in Same Box 



Next or Third Tier 



Top or Fourth Tier 



packing apples was adopted at the 

 Coldstream Ranch, in the Okanagan dis- 

 trict of British Columbia, in 1900. The 

 rip-rap pack, that any one can see by 

 looking at a case of oranges or lemons as 

 packed in California and on sale by 

 merchants all over Canada, has been the 

 most useful method. The solid pack, 

 also, as used at Hood River, Oregon, is 

 of. great advantage for some sizes of 

 fruit. 



The former method is one that is 

 easily learned, as the fruit, as packed, 

 is sorted by the packer, who must have 

 a quick eye at picking sizes, for when 

 once a box of fruit has been started with 

 a certain size, be it large, medium or 

 small, that one particular size of apples, 

 plums, pears, peaches or tomatoes will 

 have to be followed up in each row or 

 tier throughout the whole package. In 

 a case of 126 size oranges (known thus 

 because that number is always packed 

 in a box), the oranges are sorted by 

 machinery. The size is determined and 

 placed, one at a time, starting at the 

 end of the case next to the body, with 

 one in each corner of the box and one in 

 the space half way between. Next 

 place two, one in each space. Now we 

 have five. In the three spaces place, 

 1-1-1; next, -1-1-; next, 1-1-1. In 

 the said orange box, we now have 13 

 oranges; this represents the first laver 

 or tier. Beginning at the end next to 



three, then two, and so forth, beginning 

 the second tier with two-three, two- 

 three; thus, the fruit does not lay on 

 direct top of specimen below it, but in 

 the hollow between. See the diagrams. 

 These show a four-tier, rip-rap, 110- 

 size of apple. The last three or two 

 apples placed in the row will alwavs 



again, with not an apple falling out of 

 the box. Other kinds can be done like- 

 wise. 



Some growers say that the apples 

 should be packed "solid "• — one en direct 

 top of another. In reply, I would say 

 there are too many sizes of apples to 

 allow the packer to follow this rule. 



British Columbia Fruit in Boxes for Export 



bind the whole tier firmlv. Perhaps, a 

 slightly larger apple will be necessary to 

 make it more secure with no "rattle," 

 "slack," or rolHng. After a packer be- 



Apples can be packed in boxes either 

 flat on the side or diagonal, if when so 

 packed they completely fill the box, and 

 have a half to three-quarters of an 



164 



