HANDLING APPLES FROM TREE TO TABLE 27 



The export tub is much superior to the continuous-stave type of 

 bushel basket. It has rigid sides and bottom, and the lid provides 

 enough tension to keep the pack tight when it is properly packed. 

 Overfilling this package is likely to result in rim cuts as well as in 

 bad bruising from pressure of the lid (fig. 11). Use of a liner 

 around the sides and a cushion or pad under the lid, although retard- 

 ing cooling as shown in table 1, is always desirable with bushel 

 baskets, in order to reduce the hazard of puncturing the apples by 

 sharp edges of the staves and the ends of the staples, which some- 

 times project on the inside. 



Close sizing of the fruit and "place packing," or regular alinement, 

 of the fruit in the box are important in reducing the amount of 

 bruising in packed apples (fig. 12,Z?). Western apple packs are far 

 superior to the usual eastern packs, because for the most part me- 

 chanical sizing machines are used in the West and variations of more 

 than one-fourth of an inch in the diameter of apples in a package is 

 rare. Each size is packed according to a mathematical pattern. 

 Also each apple is wrapped separately; this affords considerable 

 protection against bruising. In the East, on the other hand, apples 

 are often separated into not more than two sizes, those larger or 

 smaller than a stated minimum, usually %y 2 inches, 2% inches, or 

 3 inches in diameter. Packages may be faced with apples of approxi- 

 mately the same size, but the "jumble fill"' gives opportunity for a 

 good deal of bruising both because the apples are not placed and 

 because when different-sized apples are packed together there is an 

 uneven pressure of one fruit against another that results in bad bruis- 

 ing of some of the apples. Table 3 presents typical results obtained 



Table 3. — Comparison of bruising of Stayman Winesap apples packed in standard 

 apple bo.r (northwestern box) and 1%-busliel eastern crate 





Apples badly bruised — 



Package 



Against each 

 other 



Against 

 package 



Standard box - - _ _ 



Percent 



4 

 12 



Percent 



i 14 





229 







i The distribution of this bruising was as follows: Top and bottom layers (against padded lids), 1 percent; 

 sides and ends (no pads, but paper liners over sides), 13 percent. 



2 The distribution of this bruising was as follows: Top layer (against pad), 1 percent; bottom layer (no 

 pad), 12 percent; sides and ends (cardboard liners but no pads), 16 percent. 



in studies made by the United States Department of Agriculture of 

 bruising of apples packed in a 1 ^{--bushel eastern apple crate as com- 

 pared with packing in a standard apple box. The apples were from 

 the same lot and were packed at the same time in a Virginia orchard, 

 after which they were hauled by truck to Washington. D. C, and 

 held in cold storage for several months before final examination. 

 Those packed in the standard box were sized to pack 100 per box, 

 whereas those in the eastern crate were sized "3 inches larger" in 

 accordance with commercial practice. In the standard box the apples 

 were wrapped in oiled paper, while in the eastern crate shredded 

 oiled paper was used. Both packages had liners. Both likewise 



