CONTROL OF DRIED-FRUIT INSECTS IN CALIFORNIA. 11 



THE SEAL. 



The fiber-board package was found to be tight, except at the cor- 

 ners and where the flaps meet in the middle of the sides. An attempt 

 was made to seal these places with gummed tape, but the labor 

 required to do this increased the cost of packing to such an extent 

 as to make the method unfeasible. 



An inner seal was then so constructed that when the carton was 

 regularly sealed there would be no cracks or openings at the corners. 

 (See PI. Ill, fig. 1.) 



The inner seal appears practical from the packer's point of view, 

 but the carton manufacturer claims that it would be difficult to 

 make it cheaply enough without special machinery, although this 

 would probably be made were there a demand for such cartons. 



ADVANTAGES OF THE SEALED CARTON FOR DRIED FRUIT. 



As long as dried fruit can be processed so that mold is no more 

 prevalent in sealed packages than in unsealed ones the disadvantages 

 of this type of package, with the possible exception of the extra cost, 

 are negligible. The advantages, on the other hand, are several. 



The main object of the sealed carton is the exclusion of infesting 

 insects. This is accomplished very successfully and so solves a large 

 portion of the present problem. 



It also prevents the evaporation of moisture from the fruit, and 

 thus for a long time preserves the fruit in the same moist condition 

 in which it was packed. Plate IV, figure 2, shows two bricks of figs 

 packed October 1, 1913, and opened April 16, 1914. The brick on 

 the left was put up in an ordinary carton, and, as will be observed, 

 it was dried, sugared, and became infested, while the one on the right, 

 which was put into an ordinary carton, but sealed, is in practically 

 the same condition as when packed. These two bricks were kept 

 under the same conditions; in fact, were in the same box. From the 

 foregoing data it is evident that fruit properly packed in sealed cartons 

 will be protected from infestation and will remain in a moist condition 

 much longer than when packed in an ordinary carton or box. 



OTHER SEALED PACKAGES. 



In an attempt to find a small and attractive package for their fruit 

 one packing company in California evolved a round carton with a 

 cover that fitted over the end like the cover of a baking powder can, 

 as shown in Plate IV, figure 1. A printed label pasted around the 

 edge of the carton formed in experiment a very effective seal. This 

 carton appears to be satisfactory for small packages, but the shape is 

 such that more room is required for shipment than is the case with 

 the square package, and it is not as practical for the larger sizes. 



