210 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



September, 1907 



and if a tight package can be obtained, 

 it is not acceptable to the customers. 



PACKING IN TIERS 



One great advantage of boxes is that 

 close distinctions in size and color are 

 easily made. Customers then can secure 

 exactly what they wish with reference 

 to these two qualities. The number of 

 apples in a box can be determined almost 

 instantly by the style of the pack, but 

 this number should always be placed on 

 the end of the box by the packer, when 

 he completes his work. Apples, even 

 of the same variety and upon the same 

 tree, vary so much in shape that it is 

 quite possible to get an almost endless 

 variety of packs, all fairly regular. 

 Some practised packers claim to dis- 

 tinguish sixty different styles of pack. 

 This is quite possible, if we count not 

 only the distinct varieties of pack, but 

 also combinations of these varieties in 

 the different layers of the box. It is 

 not necessary, however, to be familiar 

 with so many packs in order to be suc- 

 cessful as a box packer. Familiarity 

 with half a dozen or more will enable 

 an intelligent person to pack success- 

 fully all common varieties, and, having 

 learned to use these half-dozen styles of 

 pack, the packer will have little diffi- 

 culty in combining the features in these 

 for the purpose of packing any odd size 

 or shape that may present itself. In a 

 general way, the size of the apples is 

 indicated by the number of tiers or 

 layers in the box. The box is supposed 

 to be open, so that it is eleven inches 

 wide and ten inches deep. If, then, 

 three layers or tiers of apples will fill the 

 box properly, that sized apple is spoken 

 of as a three-tier apple. In the same 

 way, if live layers or tiers fill the box, 

 the size is said to be five-tier. The 

 three-tier apples would be the largest 

 that would be packed, such as the Alex- 

 ander or overgrown specimens of the 

 King and vSpy. These may be so large 

 that only forty-five will go in a box. It 

 is possible to get a three-tier apple with 

 sixty-three in a box. In the same way, 

 a four-tier apple usually contains ninety- 

 six specimens, but it may contain as 

 high as 112. 



If the apples of one layer are placed 

 in the spaces between the apples of the 

 one below, there would be, say, four 

 layers , of apples intermediate in size 

 between those that would fill the box 

 in three layers or in four layers if packed 

 directly over each other or straight pack. 

 Such intermediate size would be styled 

 a three and a half tier size. Similarly, 

 the intermediate size between a straight 

 four-tier and a straight five-tier would 

 be spoken of as a four and a half tier. 

 A packer soon learns to associate the 

 number of specimens in a box with the 

 particular pack which he adopts. 



From the smallest Fameuse that 

 should be packed, to the largest Kings 



or Alexanders, there are between thirty- 

 five and forty different sizes, each of 

 which requires a different style of pack. 

 But let the beginner in box packing 

 take heart. These different styles of 

 packing are really only modifications of 

 two general types. The first is called 

 the "straight" pack, where every apple 

 but those in the first layer is directly 

 over another. The second is called the 

 "diagonal" pack, in which no apple is 

 directly over any other which it touches. 

 Usually, the apples in the alternate 

 layers are directly over each other, but 

 never in the contiguous layers. 



The "straight" pack is modified by 

 the number of layers in the box. When 

 the box contains three, four or five 



middle. The second would then be 

 made with two apples, the third with 

 three, and so on, until the tier is com- 

 pleted. The second layer would b( 

 commenced with two apples and altem 

 ated with three, as in the first layer. 

 The first and third and fifth layers, and 

 second and fourth, would be the same, 

 and directly over each other. By com- 

 mencing this pack with two apples, in- 

 stead of three, the box will contain two 

 apples less. With larger apples, the 

 two-two pack is used. This is begun by 

 placing an apple in one corner of the box 

 and then dividing the remaining space 

 evenly with another apple. Into these 

 spaces are pressed two apples forming 

 the next row. This is continued till the 



A Busy Scene During the Peach Season — Shipping from Beamsville, Ontario 



layers, each apple directly over another, 

 the pack is said to be straight, three, 

 four or five tier respectively. Each 

 straight pack is again modified by plac- 

 ing the stem up or down, towards the 

 side of the box or towards the ends. 

 Even so slight a change as placing the 

 stem one way in one layer, and the 

 opposite way in the next, will sometimes 

 make the difference between a tight and 

 a slack pack. As there can thus be 

 four or more modifications of each of 

 the three packs, twelve or fifteen classes 

 of apples, differing in size or shape or 

 both, can be packed in this way. 



The diagonal packs may be modified 

 even more freely. A modification of 

 the diagonal pack in common use is 

 called the "off.set." Place three apples 

 touching each other, but leaving a space 

 about the width of half an apple between 

 one side of the box and the last apple. 

 The next row of three would be placed 

 so as to leave the space on the opposite 

 side. A very useful diagonal pack is 

 made by placing three apples in the first 

 row, one in each comer and one in the 



box is filled. Four layers will fill tin 

 box, the first being directly over the 

 third, and the second over the fourth. 



Continued on page 218 



MarKetin^ PeacKes 



Picking and packing peaches are mat 

 ters that require the personal attention 

 of the grower. These cannot be trusted 

 to hired labor without strict oversight. 

 The peach should be picked and packed 

 as carefully as an orange ; should never 

 be poured from basket to basket ; should 

 never be bruised in handling; should be 

 carefully assorted by grades, and put up 

 for market with an eye to attractive- 

 ness. It is not strictly proper, however, 

 to put red netting over green fruit. 



There is just the right time to pick 

 for market, and this is something to be 

 learned by experience. A day too early, 

 and the peaches are green ; a day too 

 late and they are over-ripe and will be 

 soft and bruised and unsaleable before 

 they reach the consumer. No fruit re- 

 quires greater expedition and better 

 judgment in picking and marketing. 



