Similar findings have been reported by others (19, 28, 75, 85). Studies in 
Maine (75, 76, 80) showed that 9 to 19 percent of the apples jumble-filled into 
bags of 3- and 4=-pound capacity are bruised by the time they reach the retailer. 
Bruising has been found to be nearly 30 percent greater in 4-pound hags than in 
3-pound bags (80). Carlsen and Stokes (18) noted that bruising was greater in 
tighter fitting bags than in those which would permit the apples to shift a 
little when the bags were handled or transported. 
Increased bruising evidently occurs when bags of apples are placed on 
end in the master shipping containers (18, 72). Perkins observed during a 3- 
year study that bagged apples placed vertically in a single tier may have up to 
three times as many severe bruises as when the bags are laid horizontally in 
two tiers (75, 76, 77). Moderate bruising in bottom layers of master containers 
may amount to five times that found in top layers (72, 78, 86). 
Contour packing of apples shows some promise as a means of reducing the 
bruising of apples (4, 19, 31). Ceponis and Kaufman (19) reported that tray 
packs of McIntosh apples in heat-shrinkable films were second only to individual 
cell packs in reducing bruise incidence. They objected, however, to the weak- 
ness of the tray-separating partitions used in packing the trays. Fountain (31) 
found it necessary to place Golden Delicious, Delicious, and Winesap apples 
packaged in shrinkable films into cell-type master containers, one consumer 
package per cell, to protect them from bruise damage during transit. 
Merchant and co-workers (69) found that packaged apples shipped in 275- 
pound-test master containers had 2.8 percent less bruising than apples shipped 
in 200-pound-test containers. See also (75, 78, 86). 
Lidding Operations 
The Washington State Apple Commission (36) stated that packing and lid- 
ding of wooden boxes caused more bruise damage than any other operations in the 
packing room. Smith and Wright (91) noted that packing-lidding operations 
accounted for 33 percent of the bruising of apples in four packinghouses. Some 
lidding operations contribute as much as 86 percent bruising (mostly due to 
overfilling), which can be reduced to at least 55 percent (38). O'Loughlin and 
Chapman (74) found that Sturmer apples were less bruised by automatic lidding 
than by lidding with a foot press. Van Waes (104) found very little bruising 
of apples during lidding operations done by hand; but when done by machine, the 
bruising was increased. Under controlled commercial conditions bruising from 
packing and lidding of standard-pack apples was 22 percent greater for small 
apples and 44 percent greater for large ones than bruising in tray-pack apples. 
Stacking Operations 
Better shipping-point warehousing methods can reduce bruising of apples 
(78). The use of pallets and forklifts has eliminated much bruising formerly 
caused by warehouse handling (50). 8/ The observations of Herrick and co-workers 
(51) on the stacking operations at terminal markets are equally important and 
applicable at shipping-point warehouses. See page 128. Sometimes attempts 
are made to force containers into places too small. Examination of such con- 
tainers in all instances showed that the apples had been seriously bruised (38). 
8/ See footnote 6, p. 139. 
146 
