PACKING 



1187 



boxes or baskets, maile of thin veneers fastened together 

 with tacks or with wire staples, are generally used, 

 though pints and even smaller sizes are popular in some 

 markets, especially for such delicate fruits as rasp- 



1609. Bushel bask 



berries. Square baskets, a little larger at the top than 

 at the bottom, are preferred at the East, while in the 

 Missi.ssippi valley the sihkuv "H;ill(>i-k" or oblong 

 "Leslie" boxes af- np^-ih u-iil In i iiln r .■.■i-< ;i <'<-r- 

 tain number, usu;ill\ ■ i:' ■ i '" ■ : . i ■ ' ■ ! ■ ' p. Iii;lit 



slatcratesforsliii'iii,- I i I'. i -Lets 



are filled in the li.-M ,. i^. 1... . - 1 ,,.-,. rtcd 



more or less thoruuyljl;. .a iln paikiu^ li(,ij.,i , uln lu the 

 process of packing usually consists iu urraugiug the top 

 layers so that the box or basket shall be evenly, but 

 slightly, rounding full, so as to avoid crushing, and yet 

 not seem slack-filled on re.iching market. 

 In some cases notably in Floridi the 

 boxes are emptied and repacked from 

 the bottom 



Peaches are reg \uU i iketel i i 

 gre.iter variety f i 1 1 t 



our fruits In ( 

 southern states 



smaller packages it becomes a rather difficult art to 

 so place each fruit that the package shall be full, and 

 yet have none of the top layers stand high enough to 

 be crushed by the cover. If the fruits chance to run of 

 just such size that the package can be evenly filled by 

 packing in uniform layers, one on top of another, the 

 problem is comparatively simple. Thus, with the Geor- 

 gia 4-quart basket, some of the small early kinds, like 

 Tillotson, often run so that three layers deep just fills 

 the basket properly. Again, with the largest Elbertas, 

 two layers, one on top of the other, are sufiicient, butthe 

 great bulk of the crop will not pack on either of these 

 plans, and it is necessary to introduce a broken layer 

 between the bottom and top layers. Such packing re- 

 quires skill and experience in order to produce satisfac- 

 tory results. When the fruits run unevenly in size they 

 must lie assorted or tliey cannot be packed conveniently. 

 It is sloWL-r and more expiMisive than simply dumping 

 the fruit into large haskrls, but delicate fruits, like 

 peaches, endure distant shipment much better in small 

 than in large packages, and experience is constantly 

 demonstrating that extra care in assorting and packing 

 fruit is always well paid for by increased market prices. 

 All of these packages, or modifications of them, are 

 also used for plums, pears, early apples, tomatoes and 

 many other products. Which one to select (or use in any 

 given case will depend on the character of the product, 

 the distance from market, the available supply of skilled 

 labor and on the usages and preferences of the market 

 to be supplied. The latter is an important factor and 

 one that sometimes changes in the same market with 



4-quart 

 and thr 



eighths 

 It has 

 and car 

 carrvn 

 River c 



under t 

 the Ml 



blskP 



1 I li shehi 



t 1 N 1 the H 



Duntrj an 1 Ne v Englin 1 a imilar basket is 

 It h 1 iing onlj If luaits In Mi higan custom 

 ) It the bulk of the sh pmciits aie in long flat 



baskets of various sizes — quarter third and 

 hel The f r lit is usualh covered with colored 



anl it IS s metimes further protected by slat 



\t other AIicl in-nn pickT-e i a ritl er hea%\ 



for ma 



mid lie pi xs 



late \ears it has been 

 repla e 1 to some e\ 

 tent by 4 quart b ts 

 kets like those use 1 

 in Georgia 1 ut 

 packed one la\er 

 deep m 4 basket 

 crates Californ a 

 peaches alwa-v s come 

 in rectangular ''0 

 pound boxes each 

 fruit carefully se 

 lected and wrapp i 

 in paper With tl 

 larger of these pack 

 age 1 ke tl e 1 1 1 1 



ranging the top 



to secure the d ire 1 



fulness, but with the 



1610 S X basket crate 



I,sed lor torn t es and peaches 

 Georgia and Florida. 



el 1 lliiiertetl riiesaieren \el ^ tb sharp- 

 in t 1 chipcr The j acker should incline the 1 asket 

 such a wi\ that the packing ma^ begin in one end, 

 us allowing the top, or face, to be made of the 



