292 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



away the packed boxes and cover them. The man who 

 does this work is generally hired by the day; on large 

 jobs, as at a central packing house, they are sometimes 

 paid by the piece. 



Packing Plums 



All the larger plums and prunes are packed in the same 

 way as apricots, in the four-basket crate. The fruit must 

 be big enough to fill the basket and touch the cover of the 

 crate when packed four-tier. It will be seen by the grading 

 list of the Grand Junction Fruit-growers' Association that 

 the packed crate must have a gross weight of twenty-eight 

 pounds or more. 



Small plums of the American type, Damson and the 

 like, are shipped in 2^-inch plum boxes. The box must 

 be well filled and neatly faced. The inside dimensions of 

 this box are 18 X 11X2 inches. 



Packing Pears 



Western pears are shipped in a box commonly known 

 as the California pear box. This is made of light material, 

 as spruce or pine; the ends of f-inch, and the tops, sides, 

 and bottoms ^-inch material. The inside dimensions of 

 this box are 18 X ll^X 8. It is supposed to hold a 

 bushel and should have a gross weight of at least fifty- 

 three pounds when packed. 



Pears are packed in two grades, "fancy" and "choice," 

 and each grade in three sizes, four-tier, five-tier, and six- 

 tier. "Fancy" pears must be free from worms or worm 

 stings, abrasion marks, scale pits, and other defects, and 

 must be smooth and of good shape. Excepting where 

 characteristic of the variety, heavy russeting, which is 



