380 
Honesty in packing is a cardinal rule which should on no occa- 
sion be departed from, and especially on a glutted market is the 
grower made aware of it. The glaring fraud of topping inferior 
fruit and rubbish with picked specimens is, as a rule, so noticeable 
that it passes comprehension that some should still persist in it. 
It very frequently happens that in order to test the packing the 
dealers open the cases sideways, or on the bottom end; and even 
often, when a large parcel comes under the hammer, one or two 
cases, picked out at random, are tipped on the table exposed to 
view, and stand as a sample of the whole lot. 
For long-distance shipping, it stands to reason that nothing 
but first-class fruit will pay for freight, packing, for shrinkage due 
to natural causes, and other incidental changes. 
WEIGHT or A BusHEL or Fruit. 
With the object of bringing uniformity as regards the contents 
of fruit cases, growers, and also the Legislature have adopted 
cases of various sizes based upon the imperial bushel standard, 
which measures 2,218 cubic inches. 
When filled, however, the weight varies with the kind of fruit. 
Thus an average bushel of apples, pears, and quinces is put down at 
40lbs., although a bushel of good-keeping apples weighs 42lbs; 
peaches, nectarines, apricots weigh 48-50lbs.; plums 56-60lbs. and 
more; and grapes 35-40lbs. per bushel case. 
THe DraconaL Pack. 
Until the numerical system of diagonal packing for apples 
and oranges became more generally followed, the practice was to 
pack in almost any kind of ease, or in barrels, and it was per- 
missible to double face the package—bottom and top—a layer of 
fruit being carefully set at the bottom, these for the sake of 
uniformity showing the same side; over these, fruit of the same 
grade and type was used as a superstructure, and a top layer of 
even and picked fruit also facing the same way was set before 
pressing down gently and nailing the cover. 
This system has now been quite superseded by the “diagonal 
pack,” which originated in California in connection with the pack- 
ing of oranges for transport over long distances when it is essen- 
tial to provide a maximum of,tightness to ensure a minimum of 
bruising. 
The advantages from a marketable point of view were so 
obvious and the system moreover ensured that for a given grade 
of fruit a definite numerical content can be relied upon that it be- 
came universally adopted in Canada and in the United States. 
