Things to Observe in Packing 



43 



San Dimas, California 



nating the grade are placed on the empty boxes; this, however, 

 is not imperative. A carload of packed oranges varies some in 

 number of boxes in keeping with the size of car. A 36-foot car 

 will take 336 boxes, a 40-foot' car 384, and a 42-foot car 409 the 

 latter is a late introduction, which it is hoped will become popu- 

 lar in the near future. In lemons, the 36-foot car will take 288 

 boxes, the 40-foot 312 and the 42-foot 336. When packed 

 the boxes are placed on end with a space for ventilation 



It has been said that the apparel oft proclaims the man and 

 it is also true that the package often sells the goods. Be sure 

 your pack is uniform and true to grade, mark your package or 

 box true to name, quality, number and size; pack boxes full, 

 solid and uniform fruit at top, bottom and center all alike. 

 Establish a reputation for honesty and neatness, and invite buyers 

 by making your product attractive. Give value for value, and 

 you can rest assured, success will be yours. 



A SPLENDID NAVEL ORANGE GROVE AT SAN DIMAS, CAL. 



between each and every box, made feasible by nailing 

 small strips of lumber of sufficient strength crosswise of 

 the 'car. This done, the car is ready to be sealed and sent to 

 its destinatian. Every establishment has its own individual 

 car banner indicating where the fruit was grown and packed. 



In the main, much the same procedure is observed in packing 

 lemons, the differences being substantially as follows: with lemons 

 the fruit is graded exclusively by hand at the time of shipment. 

 Curing is in many cases optional, much depending on the con- 

 dition of the market. 



Too much caution cannot be observed in handling citrus 

 fruit from the moment it is clipped from the tree until sealed up 

 in a car only to be again handled at points of destination. Treat 

 each individual specimen as though it was an egg and your pro- 

 duct will not only "stand up" under the wear and tear of hand- 

 ling and transporting, but will invariably bring you a better 

 price, and enhance your reputation as a grower of fancy fruit. 



Let us digress for a moment from the general topic of harvest- 

 ing and marketing, and note more specifically the different meth- 

 ods and plans for packing the various sizes of oranges and lemons. 

 To begin, the standard California orange box is 11^x11^x26 

 inches outside measurements, divided into two compartments; 

 the standard California lemon box is 10^x14x27 inches outside 

 measurements, divided also into two compartments. Pomelos 

 are packed in the orange box, while the Tangerines, Madarins 

 and other kid glove varieties are packed in half boxes of the 

 orange size, two of which are cleated together for shipment. In 

 rare instances they are packed in quarter boxes, four being 

 cleated together. For the benefit of growers, beginners in pack- 

 ing citrus fruits, and for the instruction of all interested, we 

 submit plans on pages 40 and 41 for packing the several 

 standard grades in which citrus fruits are handled by the trade 

 in California, which are self-explanatory. Growers following 

 these plans will find that they work out correctly. 



