the care in its use, Levin and Gaston (45) found that a mechanically tilted 
bulk-box dumper caused 40 to 50 percent less bruising than hand dumping of 
fruit in field crates, Eaton (24) in England reported that dumping by mechan- 
ically inverting bulk boxes using a false lid caused excessive bruising, End- 
gate or submersion dumping caused less damage. Eaton stressed that whatever 
the layout adopted for dumping fruit, it should be designed to allow one oper- 
ator to do all the emptying without the need for servicing by forklift trucks 
except at hourly intervals, Sammet (60) and Sammet and Davis (61) in California 
and Wilking (72) in Germany compared different types of equipment for handling 
and dumping incoming fruit in bulk boxes. 
Some bulk boxes are equipped with hinged endgates. Blanpied et al (9) 
found that McIntosh in bulk boxes can be dumped through endgates satisfactorily 
if the boxes are only 20 inches deep, They concluded that water submersion 
dumping of bulk boxes 24 inches deep causes fewer stem punctures than endgate 
dumping. Pflug and Dewey (57) tested two types of bulk-box dumpers on McIntosh 
and Golden Delicious apples. These soft-fleshed varieties were injured by tilt- 
type dumpers that gradually invert the bulk box. But submerging the bulk boxes 
in water and allowing flotation unloading caused only a small fraction of the 
bruising that occurred with tilting-type dumpers. 
Brushers are widely used to remove dust and spray materials to improve 
appearance. Some types do not operate effectively on wet fruit (33). More 
apples for the fresh market are being washed in recent years, often by passing 
them under a series of water sprays and brushes, Where residue removal is a 
special problem, techniques for removing the residues are available (4). How- 
ever, Haller and Carter (35) and Walker (71) found that very little of the DDT 
residue could be removed from apples with various chemical washing treatments, 
Matthee and Ginsburg (49) stressed the importance of packinghouse sani- 
tation to keep the spore load low and minimize the chance for inoculating fruit. 
Field boxes and equipment can be cleaned with a 0.25 percent calcium hypochlo- 
rite solution or by 2 minutes exposure to steam. Storage rooms can be fumigated 
with a mixture of 85-percent carbon dioxide and 15-percent ethylene oxide. 
Ellenwood (25) pointed out that grading is often a serious source of 
bruising, sometimes more serious than picking and transporting. Gaston and 
Levin (31) found that a mobile grader for use in the orchard was particularly 
useful where fruit is stored orchard-run, With this mobile grader, fruit is 
not dumped into field crates from picking bags, but is dumped directly on the 
grader. This means less handling and less bruising. 
Crowding on grading and sizing equipment and excessive speed are common 
causes of bruising (7, 1], 22, 25, 26, 51, 52). Long drops and poorly padded 
equipment also contribute to bruising. Evans and Marsh (26, 27) reported that 
elevator chains and sorting rollers with slower speeds and less drop from 
elevator rollers, plus use of cloth brakes, reduced bruising, Felt or sponge 
rubber covered rollers helped in reducing injury. Canvas aprons and sponge 
rubber padding in appropriate places are useful. Evans and Marsh (26) stated 
that the amount of damage which occurs in packinghouses varies more with manage- 
ment and supervision than it does with the particular type of machinery. 
Machinery adjustments and personnel training are essential, Stoll (69) de- 
scribed various grading and sizing equipment in use in Europe. a 
Merchant (51) studied two different types of packing lines for McIntosh 
apples. Using manual dumping, chain eliminators, wooden sorting rolls, chain 
sizers, and 2-way belt accumulators, there was 47 percent slight bruising and 
3 percent severe bruising. Using mechanical dumpers, chain and belt elimin- 
ators, rubber-covered sorting rolls, cup sizers, and 2-way belt accumulators, 
26 
