395 
Damp and light give a weather-stained look to the wood and 
turn it yellow, and the shooks should for that reason be stacked in 
a dark and dry place. The dryness of the wood is of great im- 
portance, much loss being caused by the use of green timber for 
cases that are used for export. 
The cases should be made of light but tough wood, which does 
not split when the slats are nailed together. Our hardwood cases 
are easier to nail when half dry, jarrah particularly splitting un- 
less blunt case nails are used. The material should be sufficiently 
strong to withstand a moderate amount of pressure, such as that 
caused by heaping up cases on the top of one another or by sling- 
ing them into and out of the ship’s hold. 
The cases should be lined with strong white paper, and after 
packing they should be left, if possible, for a day or two if the 
fruit is of a keeping class; they will thus settle before the lid is 
nailed down. 
The temptation of fastening the lids with twice as many nails 
as are really necessary should be resisted, as forcing the lids when 
much nailed down frequently spoils them, and also some of the 
contents of the box. 
Large readable labels showing the contents of the case may not 
always save the packages from rough handling, but will do so 
occasionally. 
Much confusion exists as regards the size and shape of fruit 
cases in the various fruit-growing countries, and perhaps more so 
in Australia. Although our cases and their subdivisions, approxi- 
mate as nearly as possible a bushel and fractions of that measure 
of capacity, their contents vary somewhat from the Imperial bushel, 
which measures 2,218 cubic inches. 
Cases approved by the Australasian Fruitgrowers’ Conference, 
October, 1911. 
Inside Cubic Recommended for 
Variety of Case. Measurements. | Capacity. Fruits of— 
Inches. 
1. Australian Dump Bushel Case} 18 x 14} x 8% 2,223 | Apples oe and 
expo! 
2. Australian Half Bushel Grape | 18 x11} x 5} 1,110 | Grapes, etc. 
ASC 
8. Australian Dump Half-Bushel 18 x 8% x 7} 1,1114 | Apples, etc. 
4. Asien Flat Bushel Case | 26 x 6 x 14} 2,223 | Citrus and other fruits 
(without division) _, (interstate). } 
6. Australian Flat Half-Bushel | 26 x 6 x 7} 1,111} | Citrus and other fruits. 
Case (without division) : ; 
6. Australian Quarter Bushel Case | 133 x 10} x 4 5565 ae, Gooseberries, 
ete. 
7, Australian Orange Export Case 243 x12 x12 3,564 Bananas, Pineapples, 
and with jin. divi- 
sion for Orange ex- 
port. 
