356 



No. 6. Sydney Dump, or local market case, for oranges and 

 passion fruit. Outside measurement, 3,493 cubic inches ; cubical 

 contents, 2,864 cubic inches ; number of cases to 1 ton, ship 

 measurement, 20 cases. This case is also known as the " Grin Case." 

 It is strongly constructed, and is supplied with triangular battens 

 at each corner, and is also provided with a lid, fastened by means of 

 leather hinges. This case weighs about 13Jlbs. when made of 

 Oregon deal. 



As the contents of the case vary, so do also the weights of the 

 several fruit. Apples, for instance, weigh, on an average 401bs. per 

 bushel of 2,218 cubic inches, and good keeping apples up to 421bs. ; 

 pears, peaches, nectarines, and apricots, 41bs. to 61bs. more, or 44 to 

 461bs. per Imperial bushel ; plums, 161bs. to 201bs. more, or 561b. 

 to 601bs. 



These fruit cases are made of sawn deal ^in. thick, with end 

 boards and centre boards Jin. to fin. in thickness. They are 

 stronger than the thin cases hitherto used in America, and for that 

 reason stand handling better, and afford better protection to the 

 fruit when slung into the shipbold or out of it. 



At the Intercolonial Fruitgrowers' Conference held in Brisbane 

 in June, 1897, an attempt was made to arrive at an understanding 

 concerning a uniform Australian fruit-case, and the case figured 

 No. 2 found favour. Mr. Peacock, of Tasmania, who designed it, 

 claims that by its use a saving of 6d. per case is effected in freight 

 charges, etc., over the whole style of flat packages. It is con- 

 structed of fin. stuff for the sides, tops, and bottoms, and Jin. for 

 the ends. No centre division is used. The main disadvantages of 

 this case are that it too closely resembles a kerosene case, and that 

 some growers might either inadvertently or, when short of the 

 proper packages, call into requisition such cases, and thus expose the 

 consumer to purchase fruit flavoured with kerosene. It is besides 

 too large for such fruit as pears shipped to long distances, when 

 the heating of the contents often spoil much fruit. Another disadvan- 

 tage is that the timber would require to be specially cut, as the 

 widths (7in. and 9in.) are not sizes usually stocked, and this would 

 for that reason preclude the use of board's from old cases or from 

 the waste from ordinary boarding found at saw mills. Such a case 

 is only suitable for shipping hard fruit. 



Since then Mr. G. H. Grapes, of Wellington, New Zealand, at 

 a Conference of the Auckland Fruitgrowers' Union, urged the 

 claim of a bi-cubic shaped case. The ideal shaped package for 

 fruit is one of cubic form, the fruit being thus, whichever way the 

 package stands, always subject to the same pressure. Bearing this 

 principle in mind, Mr. Grapes suggests the use of "a case con- 

 sisting of two cubes, each 11 x 11 x 11 inches inside measurement, 

 with a total capacity of 2,662 cubic inches, the external dimensions 

 of which would be 12 x 12 x 24 inches, and would stack in any 

 manner exactly 20 to the shipping ton of 40 cubic feet ; such case 

 to be provided with a central division of J-inch, ends J-inch, and 



