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CIRCULAR 659, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The practice of overpacking alone accounts for many of the bruises present on the 

 apples in the grocers' displays. For every apple added to form an extra large bulge, 

 there is at least one severeh T bruised apple and several slightly bruised ones. The extra 

 weight added in the form of a large bulge is more than offset by the waste and falling- 

 off in condition due to overpacking . . . 



The type of package used has an important bearing on the prevalence 

 and severity of bruising that occurs during the handling of packed fruit. 

 The continuous-stave bushel basket is so generally recognized as unsuit- 

 able for fruit that it is not necessary to cite experimental results to prove 

 the point. Nevertheless, this package is still used to some extent for 

 apples. It is impossible to get and keep a firm, tight pack in this type of 

 basket. The nonrigidity of any side of the package makes it give under 

 pressure and permits the apples to be bruised or punctured in much the 

 same way that they are when a bag is used as a picking container (p. 18). 

 The nonrigidity of such baskets is especially objectionable when they 

 are stacked in storage or in transit. 



The export tub is far superior to the continuous-stave bushel basket. 

 It has rigid sides and bottom, and the lid provides enough tension to 

 keep the pack tight. Overfilling this package is likely to result in rim 

 cuts as well as in bad bruising from pressure of the lid (fig. 13). Use of a 

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

 tarding cooling as shown in table 1, is always desirable with bushel bas- 

 kets, in order to reduce the hazard of puncturing the apples by sharp 

 edges of the staves and the ends of the staples which sometimes project 

 on the inside. 



Figure 13. — Bruised and cut Stayman Winesap apples from the top layer of a tub- 

 type bushel basket that was packed too tightly. All the apples except one, which 

 are arranged to show injuries, were cut or badly bruised. 



