PACKING 



35 



are unknown in good fruit regions. The disposal of fruit too 

 poor to box is one of the serious problems confronting the box 

 apple territory. 



(1) Grading the Fruit: The fruit must be very carefully 

 graded as to size, shape, and color, fruit blemished by insect or 

 disease being discarded as required by the grade terms. Defi- 

 nite styles and types of packs based on long experience have 

 been worked out. The trade desires to know the number of 

 apples in each box. 



Standard numbers have been determined for apples of a 

 certain size, packed according to a certain style. It is there- 

 fore evident that there must be little variation in size between 

 the individual apples. 



Mechanical devices are used very extensively for sizing, 

 though much fruit is still graded by hand. The machines per- 

 form the work more quickly but unless operated with great 

 care may injure the fruit more than hand sizing by experi- 

 enced workers. Machines should provide ample space for 

 removing inferior fruit before the sizing mechanism is reached. 



(2) Supplies and Accessories: Specifications for the box 

 have already been given in connection with ^'Determining the 

 package to use.^' 



A bench upon which to make the boxes, with nail box, auto- 

 matic nail stripper to enable the workman to get hold of the 

 nails, and a box hatchet, will be needed. For the wrapping 

 paper, a hod that clips to the box or packing stand is necessary. 

 A clip under spring tension will hold the paper in place and re- 

 lease one sheet at a time. 



Nails — Four- or five-penny, cement coated or waxed, 8 nails for each side, 

 bottom and top, 32 nails to the box. 



Cleats — Used on each end of top and bottom. Drive through cleats when 

 nailing top and bottom. Soak cleats if inclined to split. 



Lining paper — ^Used for all except poorer grades of fruit. Blue for Extra 

 Fancy, pink for Fancy, white for C grade, of 23-pound news grade 

 or 20-pound sulfide, two pieces per box, each piece 17% by 26 

 inches. Put in the pieces, so as to overlap on bottom with a slight 



