312 THE APPLE 



The barrel press. Several types of screw and lever presses 

 are on the market. The requisites of a good press are strength, 

 durability, power, simplicity, and compactness. The lever presses 

 are more rapid than the screw type, which is being used less and 

 less. The iron circle used on some presses to force the head into 

 place is often in the way of the operator ; a single wooden block 

 extending crosswise of the head is far more convenient. If the 

 press has to be carried about the orchard frequently, it may be made 

 much lighter by turning up the bottoms of the iron uprights in 

 the form of a hook to clamp under the edge of the barrel, and 

 discarding the heavy base. 



Labeling. Neat and attractive labels should be placed on each 

 end of the barrel, the requirements being the same as for boxes. 



Comparative cost of boxes and barrels. In comparing the cost 

 of the two packages, there are three points to be considered : ( i ) the 

 actual cost of the package itself; (2) the cost of filling it; and 

 (3) the cost of handling the package from the orchard to the con- 

 sumer. Compared from these points of view, there is found a slight 

 difference in favor of the barrel. In the East the cost of a box 

 varies between 10 and 15 cents, and the cost of a barrel between 

 25 and 35 cents. Three boxes, which together will hold as much 

 as one barrel, cost between 30 and 45 cents, leaving a margin 

 of from 5 to 10 cents in favor of the barrel. When the apple 

 crop calls for a thousand or more barrels the saving becomes 

 a considerable item. 



The approximate cost of packing a box and a barrel of apples 

 is shown by the following figures : 



Box Barrel 



Box #0.10 to $0.15 Barrel $0.251050.35 



Paper .05^ Cushion heads . . . .04 



Packing 05 to .06 Packing .09 



Box making ... .01 Nailing .01 



Wiping and grading .05 Picking .22 



Hauling .... .03 Wiping and grading . .05 



Nailing .... .01 Orchard hauling . . .03 



Orchard hauling . .01 Help in packing house .01 



Picking .... .07 Hauling .03 



Help in packing house .01 Total $0.73 to $0.83 



Total .... $0.39! to $0.45.1 



