44 BULLETIN" 518, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



sorted and packed by women. Usually on the larger ranches men 

 are now employed in the packing house. 



The crew in the packing house will vary with the size and condi- 

 tion of the crop. It is usually necessary to have more sorters than 

 packers. Often four sorters are necessary to keep three packers 

 busy. 



Many growers use a mechanical sizer and claim that much time 

 and expense is saved. These machines cost from $125 to $250 each. 

 In the type most generally used the apples are dumped upon padded 

 tables at the end of the sizer. From these they are placed on an 

 endless carrier, the extra fancy apples on one side and the fancy on 

 the other side of a partition. Choice, or C grade apples, as well as 

 cookers and culls, are not put through the machines at the same time, 

 although they may be sized later. The sizing device permits the 

 apples to roll down into padded bins or receptacles placed along 

 the side of the carrier. 



Most of the growers, however, sort by hand. The sorters work at 

 tables and sort from the loose boxes into three grades, but do not 

 size the fruit. Sorters are paid usually by the hour. When working 

 at a sizer they will sort 82 packed boxes, or about 120 loose boxes, a 

 day. By hand they will sort 53 packed or about 75 loose boxes. The 

 labor cost of sorting for those who use a sizer is $0,032 per packed 

 box, or $0,021 per loose box, while for those who sort by hand it 

 costs $0,046 per packed box, or $0,031 per loose box. Sorting time 

 depends very largely on the relative freedom of the fruit from insect 

 injuries and fungus disease. 



Packing. — Packers work by the box, and men and women are paid 

 at the same rate. Many growers prefer women to men for packing 

 fruit. They apparently become expert packers much more quickly, 

 and do neater work than men, although usually averaging fewer 

 boxes during the season. Packing labor in Hood River Valley gen- 

 erally receives 4 to 5 cents per packed box. The 4-cent rate is paid 

 where apples are both sized and graded for the packer ; that is, where 

 a sizing machine is used. The 5-cent rate is used where the apples are 

 graded for the packer, but not sized; that is, when the sorting is 

 done '"by hand. Packing is done at benches along the side of the 

 sizinof machine. When hand sorting is done the packers usually work 

 at tables or benches. The diagonal method of packing is commonly 

 used. All three grades of apples are wrapped. Sometimes cookers 

 are also wrapped. Cardboards are placed inside both on the top and 

 the bottom of the box. Packers earn higher wages than day help. 

 The average packer packs 77.5 boxes per 10-hour day in the case of 

 the 54 orchards considered. 



