1922.] 



Transport of Strawberries. 



1001 



of the van, and is titled with a concrete floor. It is about 60 ft. in length, 

 and when packed with chips one layer deep on flour and shelves, will hold 

 about three tons. Probably this is the easiest van to pack, but its capacity- 

 is limited, compared with its length. 



(6) A van known as Fruit Van " D," convertible for other purposes 

 (Fig. 2). This is a van entirely rilled with four layers of wire shelves in 

 sections, and when the shelves and floor are filled with chips one layer 

 deep, it will hold from 44 to 48 cwt. Probably this is the most economi- 

 cal van but it is rather more difficult to pack. Its great advantage is 

 that it does not permit the chips to be " topped." The van is ventilated. 



(c) An ordinary milk siphon van with lattice sides and fitted with 

 wooden shelves. Capacity in single layer about 30 cwt. 



(d) A small enclosed ventilated fruit van with wooden shelves. 

 Capacity about 1 ton. 



Method of Facking.— Nearly all fruit from the Cheddar 

 Valley is marketed in 4 lb. chips. Punnet cases to hold thirty- 

 two 1 lb. punnets are occasionally seen, but these are used only 

 for fancy fruit. Although in some districts the total weight of 

 the chip and fruit is 4 lb., it is customary in the Cheddar Valley 

 to consign 4 lb. net weight of fruit. The Growers' Association 

 feel that they are meeting unfair competition from other districts, 

 where the light-weight chip is used, and are considering giving a 

 guarantee next season that each chip contains 4 lb. net weight 

 of fruit when dispatched. 



In this district, there is a very interesting practice, which 

 might be very profitably extended, of lashing a strong stick or 

 spar to the handles of four or more chips (Fig. 3). This gives 

 much greater stability to the package, and packing in the vans 

 is enormously facilitated, as a man can easily handle two sticks, 

 totalling eight baskets, at once. When packed in this way, should 

 it be necessary to top the fruit in the vans, it is much better 

 protected, as other packages can be laid across the sticks, with- 

 out actually coming in contact with the chips below. 



The fruit is always covered in the chip, the covers used being 

 of three types : — (a) Muslin (cost 7s. per gross); (b) Transparent- 

 grease-proof paper; (c) Thick non-transparent paper. 



The muslin tops give by far the neatest appearance, and also 

 give the buyer a chance of inspecting the fruit without removing 

 the covers. The transparent grease-proof paper is the next in 

 order of merit. 



The effect of the method of packing is seen in the prices 

 realised. One grower who invariably uses muslin, claims that 

 he commands 2}d. to 3d. per lb. above the ordinary pack. A 

 neatly packed transparent grease-proof paper will realise Id. per 

 lb. more than non-transparent paper. 



The chips are manufactured locally and sold at 26s. per gross. 



