158 THE AMERICAN APPLE ORCHARD 



THE APPLE BARREL 



Before going- on to see how apples are packed, it will 

 be best to stop a moment to consider the standard 

 apple packages. Of these the barrel stands first. 



The standard American apple barrel has the follow- 

 ing dimensions: diameter at top, 17^4 inches; circum- 

 ference at middle, 64 inches; length of staves, 28>< 

 inches. This is known everywhere as the standard ap- 

 ple barrel, or the lOO-quart barrel. 



In Nova Scotia, and occasionally in Ontario, an- 

 other barrel is used considerably different from the 

 one just described. It is just a trifle longer, but 

 the most distinctive difference lies in the fact that the 

 staves are straighter. The barrel is made nearly 

 cylindrical. The dimensions of the Nova Scotia bar- 

 rel are: diameter of top, 17^ inches; diameter at 

 middle, 19 inches ; length of staves, 29 inches. The 

 two barrels may be more readily compared in the fol- 

 lowing table : 



COMPARISON OF NOVA SCOTIA AND AMERICAN APPLE 

 BARRELS 



Diameter Diameter Length of 

 at Top at Middle Staves Capacity 



American lyYj, 20 1-3 28>4 100 Quarts 



Nova Scotia... 173^ 19 29 96 Quarts 



The American apple barrel is a stronger package 

 than the Nova Scotia barrel and will stand rough 

 handling, such as loading on and off cars and trucks, 

 better than the straight stave barrel. When it comes 

 to shipping by boat across the Atlantic, however, the 

 Nova Scotia barrel has the call. This is because the 



