Page 50 



BETTER FRUIT 



Marcli 



NATIONAL " FOLDING BERRY BOXES 



ALL STANDARD STYLES AND SIZES WITH CRATES TO MATCH 



For Market 



National Lumber & Box Co. 



HOQUIAM, WASHINGTON 



Manufacturers of Every Known Style of Fruit Package 



BEST 



OUR AGENTS 



MULTNOMAH LUMBER & BOX CO 

 PORTLAND 



H. J. SHINN & CO. 

 SPOKANE 



RYAN, NEWTON & CO. 



SPOKANE 



For Filling 



For Simplicity 



For Shipping 



BEST BERRY PACKAGE EVER PRODUCED 



price vary according to the percantage of 

 rubber used, and it is, therefore, easy to 

 understand that compounding may not 

 only be required to meet certain condi- 

 tions and to insure certain results, but 

 may also be rendered necessary in order 

 to produce a given article at a certain 

 price, and at the same time insure the 

 manufacturer a profit at the price; there- 

 fore, when the jobber insists that the 

 manufacturer furnish a seven-ply spray 

 hose at a fixed figure, and particularly if 

 that figure is about one-twentieth the 

 price of pure rubber, compounding for 

 price is then more important than com- 

 pounding for service, and this is the 

 reason why the manufacturer and the 

 jobber of spray hose have failed to fur- 

 nish the fruit grower with a satisfactory 

 article. 



There are four important factors enter- 

 ing into hose construction: First, the 

 inner tube; second, the fabric, or the plies 

 which wrap the tube; third, the cement, 

 or "friction," as it is called by the expert, 

 which cements the plies together; fourth, 

 the cover. The tube is the most import- 

 ant. It, of course, is the conductor and 

 comes directly in contact with the mate- 

 rials handled. The plies are intended to 

 protect the tube from expansion, while 

 the friction, or cement, binds the plies 

 together from tube to cover and serves 

 the dual purpose of first preventing the 

 separation of the plies, and second, in 

 acting as a preser\ative of the duck or 

 fabric which makes up the body of the 

 hose. The cover is intended to withstand 

 the abrasion and wear fmni without. 



The weight of the duck and the quality 

 of the friction varies according to the 

 service for which the hose is intended, 

 and also the price per foot at which it is 

 sold. The number of plies signifies noth- 

 ing unless the weight and quality of the 

 material used in these plies is also con- 

 sidered. Generally speaking, the cheaper 

 grades of spray hose are usually of seven- 

 ply construction, but instead of a strong, 

 serviceable duck, the cheapest cheese 

 cloth is used, and one ply of the former 

 we all know is stronger than seven plies 

 of the latter. Do not consider a hose 

 high grade because it has numerous plies, 

 but see for yourself what material these 

 plies are made from, and you will not be 

 deceived. Everyone knows the difiference 

 between duck and cheese cloth, and it is 

 easy to cut a small sample from the hose 

 the dealer offers you and thus know this 

 point perfectly. 



In just the same manner the purchaser 

 may try the quality of the friction or 

 cement. If it is high grade and consists 

 largely of rubber it will be very difficult 

 to separate the plies, and in separating 

 the friction will adhere to the fabric 

 like gum, whereas the cheap friction will 

 ofifer little, if any, resistance to pull and 

 scarcely any adhesion to the fabric. 



The quality of the tube and cover can 

 be readily determined by testing the 

 strength after you have torn the hose 

 apart, and surely these simple directions 

 should be easy to follow when you are 

 purchasing. 



In regard to the tube, little can be 

 determined as to its durability without 



subjecting it to an emersion test for, say, 

 a week or so in some of the severe solu- 

 tions, such as bluestone or distillate. 

 However, if the hose is well made in 

 every other respect it is quite safe to 

 assume that the manufacturer has also 

 been careful to employ a resisting com- 

 pound in his tube construction. The 

 ordinary cheap seven-ply sheeting fabric 

 spray hose is a make-shift. It kinks 

 easily, the fabric separates, the cover 

 disintegrates under the action of the 

 spray, as also does the tube, which swells 

 and softens if an emulsion spray is used. 

 If run over by a wagon or kinked it 

 quickly goes to pieces. It certainly is a 

 very costly experiment, to say the least. 



A hose to give good service should be 

 kinkless, exceedingly elastic, and capable 

 of resisting great pressure. It should 

 have two or three plies of heavy duck 

 fabric, with a sheet of high grade fric- 

 tion (cement) between each ply, so as to 

 insure great resiliency, and a tube com- 

 pounded to withstand the dissolving 

 action of any of the spray mixtures 

 employed. Such a hose will' withstand 

 the most severe service, be unaffected by 

 temperature, develop no weak spots to 

 kink and break, and will be a good insur- 

 ance against breakdown at critical times 

 to the grower. 



The writer has given spray hose con- 

 struction careful attention and will be 

 very glad to receive suggestions from the 

 growers, as well as to answer their ques- 

 tions. Communicate by addressing in 

 care of the editorial office of "Better 

 Fruit." 



