l: 
BULLETIN 1412, II. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
for leaf lettuce, holding approximately 10 and 15 pounds, respec- 
tively. 
New York shippers generally use a flat crate holding 2 to 3 dozen 
heads (fig. 8), but if the lettuce is of poor quality it is sometimes 
packed in hampers. New Jersey uses a 2-dozen crate of about the 
same style as the New York crate but of slightly different dimen- 
sions. Shipments from Florida are made in l^-bushel hampers, 
and from other Southeastern States in 5-peck hampers ; but in recent 
years a crate holding 2 to 3 dozen heads, of the same style but slightly 
larger than the New York crate, has attained more or less popularity 
in these sections. 
In the past, three sizes of crates have been used in New York, but 
in 1924 a committee of growers recommended a standard crate having 
the following inside dimensions: 19 by 16 by 7y 2 inches. After 
the adoption of this standard by the New York growers the Florida 
Fig. 7. — A popular basket used in marketing leaf lettuce 
growers and crate manufacturers agreed to adopt it. In April, 
1926, this crate was standardized by law in New York. 
Until recently five different sizes of lettuce crates were used in 
California, holding from 3 to 6 dozen heads, according to the size 
of the lettuce (fig. 9), but in 1923 an amendment to the California 
fruit and vegetable standardization act recognized only two of these 
as standard in that State. Crates of about the same dimensions and 
holding the same number of heads are in use in other Western 
States, and occasionally a shipment is made from the Southeastern 
States in this type of package. 
Many of these crates are more or less similar in shape and size, 
differing only slightly in one or more dimensions. The dimensions 
of the various 2-dozen crates can be readily standardized without 
detracting from the usefulness or the popularity of the package in 
any of the sections where this particular style of crate is used. 
There is likewise an urgent need and a strong demand for a uniform 
