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In Michigan it is estimated that 25 percent of the 1957-58 apple crop was 

 handled in pallet boxes. In the Pacific Northwest, 9 operators have put about 

 25,000 pallet boxes into use for harvesting of about 900,000 standard boxes of 

 fruit. In many major producing areas growers and packinghouse operators have 

 also installed pallet boxes. 



Purpose of the Research 



Traditionally, the Pacific Northwest to a large extent has used the same 

 standard wood box in which apples are shipped as a picking and storage con- 

 tainer. Continued increases in the costs of this box, the use of new merchan- 

 dising methods, and the adoption of improved technology for packing certain 

 types of fiberboard containers have brought a marked shift away from wood boxes 

 for shipping apples to market. This means that many plants are faced with 

 heavy expenditures for picking and storage containers. They could use field 

 boxes of the same size, standard boxes, or some other size containers. It has 

 been shown in other areas that a larger container is less expensive to use than 

 the standard wood field box and this research on pallet boxes was undertaken to 

 determine if the larger container is better. If the pallet box is better, it 

 is necessary to determine the best size, design, and construction materials. 



Many of the pallet boxes already built and in use for handling apples 

 have been built without complete thought given to construction features. As a 

 result, many will not perform most satisfactorily nor result in the lowest 

 cost to the users. 



Research done to date, by both the Agricultural Research Service and the 

 Agricultural Marketing Service, is included in this report. The efforts in 

 connection with this study are to give the apple industry of the Pacific 

 Northwest the design criteria and the methods of using the pallet box which 

 will give the lowest cost consistent with good storage practice and maintenance 

 of fruit quality. 



EQUIPMENT AND METHODS 



Pallet boxes call for equipment changes in the orchard and at the 

 warehouse. All commercial pallet boxes and most of the experimental ones 

 studied weigh approximately 1,000 pounds when filled with fruit. Power lift 

 equipment is necessary for handling them. Most pallet boxes weigh from 110 to 

 140 pounds empty and when handled manually require 2 men to handle except when 

 dragged a few feet. 



In orchards forklift equipment, available as attachments for tractors, is 

 necessary to handle pallet boxes. In most cases this equipment is new to the 

 grower. Transportation equipment already in use is well suited to hauling 

 pallet boxes. At the warehouse, forklift trucks handle pallet boxes in the 

 same manner as loads of standard apple boxes on pallets. Except for dumping 

 devices, the major equipment changes necessitated in shifting to pallet-box 

 handling are in the orchard. 



