Edible Products. 



348 



[October, 1908. 



Packing Diagrams. 



As in the packing of Citrus fruits, so 

 in the packing of pineapples. In order 

 to fill the crates full of fruit a uniform 

 size it has to be put in according to dif- 

 ferent arrangements. Such arrange- 

 ments are usually referred to as packing 

 diagrams. These arrangements, or dia- 

 grams, for the different packs of pine- 

 apples, are as follows : — 



Pack 18, 3 layers of 3 each in each end 

 24, 3 „ „ 4 ,, ,, >) 

 ,, 30, 3 tiers ,, 5 ,, ,, 



„ 36, 3 layers ,, 6 ,, ,, 

 ,, 42, 3 ,, ,,7,, ,, ,, 

 „ 48,3 „ „ 8 „ „ 



The first layer should be placed in the 

 crate with the crowns away from the 

 packer, the second with the crowns 

 reversed, and so on alternating until the 

 crate is full. Each upper layer should 

 cover the spaces between the fruit in 

 the layer immediately beneath. For 

 many years the packing was done by 

 each individual grower and, of course, 

 this holds to a certain degree still, 

 although the professional pineapple 

 packer is one of the more recent develop- 

 ments of the industry. 



Packing the Fruit. 



With one hand the packer draws out a 

 piece of paper from the tray, while the 

 other reaches for a pineapple from the 

 pile besides him and sets it on the paper. 

 Then with a roll and a dexterous twist, 

 wraps tlie paper about it. The fruit is 

 then ready for the crate. 



Place the different sized fruits in the 

 crate according to the different packs. 

 When the crate is completed, the fruit 

 should not shake or rattle, the whole 

 package should be perfectly solid. Fill 

 the crate with all the fruit it will hold 

 of the particular size being packed, 

 should be the rule. Select the fruit in 

 such a way as to fill the crate, don't 

 wrap three or four sheets of paper 

 around a fruit to bring it up to the size. 

 When packed the fruit should stand 

 flush with the ends and partitions of the 

 crate, or a little above them. 



Heading Up, 



As soon as the crates are packed they 

 are ready for the cover. The box should 

 be placed on a low table, the slats laid 

 on, nailed at one end, pressed down and 

 nailed to the partition and the other 

 head. Four-penny cement coated nails, 

 running 75,000 to the keg, should be 

 used. One man can nail up as quickly 

 as two or three can pack. 



Stenciling. 



The marking of the crates may occa- 

 sionally be left until the day's work is 

 done, though in this as in many other 

 matters pertaining to the handling of 

 the crop, train schedules will govern. 



The end of the crate should bear the 

 number of pineapples, the name of the 

 variety, the name of the consignee and 

 the consignor and the shipping direc- 

 tions. When the stenciling is completed 

 the end of the crate will be something 

 like this :— 



30 Red Spanish. 





Indian River Pineapples 







James Jones & (Jo. 







Boston, 6752 







From 







C. F. Smith 







Jensen, Fla. 





Via A. C D. 



If the box contains two different sizes, 

 the fact should be so indicated on the 

 end of the crate. 



Some growers cover the panel of one 

 end of the crate with a fancy poster, 

 which adds considerably to the ap- 

 pearance of the package. 



Cost of Picking and Packing. 

 The cost of picking, wrapping and 

 packing pineapples, including paper, 

 nails, crates and all is approximately 

 twenty-five cents per crate. 



Shipping. 



Pineapples may be forwarded to the 

 large northern markets by express, by 

 all-rail freight, or partly by rail and 

 partly by steamer. 



Express shipments would be the ideal 

 way for forwarding pineapples, as the 

 fruit could then be allowed to become 

 more nearly matured before picking, 

 but the express rates are prohibitive. 

 Intact, the high rates of expressage have 

 had much to do with the falling off of 

 the pineapple industry at various inland 

 points. Moreover, express shipments 

 cannot usually be sent through to their 



