APPLES— VARIETIES, PACKING. 155 



each box the law imperatively demands that the 

 grower or packer shall place his name and postal 

 address, the name of the variety, the grade, and the 

 number of tiers of apples, coimting from the bottom 

 upwards. A box of these dimensions, no matter how- 

 large or how small the apples packed into it, will 

 almost invariably weigh 401bs. As the different 

 varieties differ greatly in size, the methods of arrang- 

 ing them in the box differ in corresponding ways. A 

 considerable amount of skill, or, at all events, prac- 

 tice, is required to pack a box of apples well. The 

 objects aimed at are to have the box full, to make 

 it attractive in appearance when opened, to place the 

 apples in such a way that they will not move in 

 transit (if they move they will almost certainly bruise), 

 to see that all the apples which go into one box are 

 as nearly as possible of the same size, and to be sure 

 that each apple is free from bruises, disease marks, 

 and insect or fungoid defects. 



Consequently, the first requisite for good packing 

 is that the apples should be graded — sorted into suit- 

 able sizes. This can be done most conveniently while 

 they are being picked, especially if the quantity is 

 not great. Indoors, in the packing house, the tables 

 should be so arranged that the packers can pack 

 apples of two (or three) sizes or grades simul- 

 taneously, and this they can do if the culls, or small 

 fruits, are put on one side by themselves in the 

 orchard as they are gathered. If the crop has been 

 well and properly thinned at the right time, there 

 should not be very many culls to put on one side. 

 Thinning, therefore, is a most important operation. 

 To take off deliberately, and in cold blood, one-half 



