4(i 



PACKING BOXES AND CRATES. 



Cuban pine leads in Table 3. Tliat is becaufee this 

 species is most abundant in the south of Florida where 

 the large market gai'dens and citrus orchards are located. 

 Boxes are made near where they are needed, when it is 

 practicable to do so. The demand for large quantities 

 of shipping crates and boxes draws upon the most avail- 

 able suppljf of timber, and Cuban pine's geographical 

 range makes it convenient and cheap for the orange and 

 grapefruit growers, and for the gardens which ship early 

 vegetables. 



Longleaf pine is so close a competitor of Cuban pine 

 that the latter has very little advantage in quantity. The 

 longleaf averages forty cents a thousand feet cheaper, 

 which, in all likelihood, is due to better facilities for log- 

 ging it rather than to any weaker demand. The aver- 

 age is low for all woods used in box and crate making 

 in Florida, but three of them run fairly high. They are 

 Spanish cedar, sweet magnolia, and hickory. The last 

 named was made into crates for shipping vehicles and 

 machinery, and was employed to meet the demand for a 

 strong, tough wood. 



Spanish cedar and sweet magnolia are handsome woods 

 suitable for high-grade boxes for fancy commodities. 



Sand pine supplies fifty thousand feet to the industry. 

 This rather small tree should be able to contribute liber- 

 ally to the supply of cheap box and crate material in 

 the future. In some localities it is abundant, and much 

 of tlie best is within easy reach of orange, pineapple, and 

 vegetable lands where crates and boxes in large numbers 

 are needed. Though it is not a very strong wood, it pos- 

 sesses enough strength to answer all ordinary purposes 

 of Florida fruit and vegetable shippers. 



Evergreen magnolia is the cheapest material used by 

 the box and crate makers, and many persons consider it 



