Handling the Crop 305 



sorting is practiced, the sorters usually grade out the fruit 

 into three grades without regard to size, the sizing being 

 done by the packers. A long table with the sorters on one 

 side and the packers on the other has been found efficient 

 by many western growers. Others not infrequently size 

 and grade by hand from canvas conveyer belts. 



Packing-house arrangement and operation. 



As might be expected, efficiency is exceedingly import- 

 ant in western packing-houses, where the system of grad- 

 ing and handling is very intricate. In the larger packing- 

 houses of the West, conveyer belts and gravity conveyers 

 are commonly used in receiving the fruit from the wagon 

 and for moving the boxes about the warehouse or into 

 the car. 



Gravity or belt conveyers eliminate much irksome labor 

 in lifting boxes. In the modern packing-houses of the 

 West, the boxes of loose fruit are unloaded from the wagon 

 upon conveyers and are quickly carried to any part of 

 the house desired. In moving the boxes about within the 

 house, conveyers are used in bringing the loose fruit to 

 the sizer and afterwards in carrying the packed boxes to 

 the car or into storage. In the smaller houses, waiters 

 are usually employed in carrying the fruit about the pack- 

 ing-house in order that the sorters and packers may con- 

 tinue their work uninterrupted. 



When mechanical sizers are used, much the same system 

 of operation is followed as has been outlined for the pack- 

 ing-house with mechanical sizers under eastern conditions, 

 but it must be remembered, however, that many more sizes 

 are packed out in the case of boxed apples than with the 

 barrel pack. For this reason, a more elaborate system of 



