APPLES 
Bench. 
Rack in Place. 
Fig. 19. Apple Packing Paper 
packing table is used, on which the ap- 
ples are moved directly from the sorting 
section to the packing trays, there is a 
Saving of two handlings over the system 
of sorting from box to box and then 
packing either from box to box or burlap 
table to box. Especially in cases where 
the apples have to be trucked any dis- 
tance in handling in the packing house, 
it is likely to pay to sort only so fast as 
to supply the packers, even at the ex- 
pense of storing along with the grades 
what culls are not detected and dropped 
in the orchard. 
The bench type of packing table is 
made about two and one-half feet high in 
front and three feet high at the back. 
This may be too high for some packers; 
but many of them find that they exper- 
ience less fatigue if they stand upon a 
board with a slight spring to it, or even 
a hard cushion, and this will bring them 
into proper relation with the top of the 
table. The top of the bench needs to be 
only so wide as the distance between the 
cleats on the bottom of the apple box, or 
a little less to allow for variation. A 
strip at the lower edge 1x4 inches or 
2x4 inches, and another to serve as a rest 
345 
for the upper end of the box, constitute 
all the top that the table needs. To 
keep the box from sliding ‘off, the cleat 
on the upper end of the bottom of the 
box is hooked over the;upper strip of the 
table top. The bench is constructed by 
first connecting the legs in pairs with a 
strip near the bottom to serve as a brace 
and a strip at the top on the same slant 
as the top of the bench. The ends of 
the bench-top strips will be nailed to 
this latter. These sets of legs can be 
placed from four to six feet apart. They 
are also braced with three strips running 
lengthwise of the table—one at the top 
on either side and one near the bottom 
at the back. 
Some build this table against the wall, 
under a row of windows, which is well 
if the windows are at the north. How- 
ever, in order that the packer may re- 
ceive his light from the back and sides, 
and not be interfered with by the attend- 
ant in setting on loose boxes and remov- 
ing packed ones, many turn it so that he 
can work with his back to the _ wall. 
Rollers the width of the apple box are 
then sometimes arranged at the top edge 
of the bench to facilitate the attendant’s 
shifting the boxes. Where the packing 
room is large and the light will permit, 
the bench-table is conveniently made dou- 
ble, with packers facing each other. To 
have plenty of room on the packing bench, 
each packer needs six or seven feet, plus 
a few extra inches. This allows for one 
aoa. 
Hig. 20. Paper ‘‘Hod,”’ for Use on Top Edge 
of Box. a Hooks which engage the top edge 
of the box. bCleat beveled at the same 
angle as the box so that when it is in place 
the hod is in a horizontal position. 
