FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
109 
NECESSARY SUPPLIES 
The following supplies are all that is 
necessary. Parcel post boxes, gummed 
strips, packing and twine. Do not use 
an ordinary pasteboard box and expect 
satisfactory results, but get the box put 
out for the purpose. 
I use the 6x6x6 and 12x12x4 corru¬ 
gated mailing boxes, but other sizes 
would prove equally good. The smaller 
box closely packed with fruit weighed 
about seven pounds, the larger about 
twelve. These boxes in a folded form, 
may be obtained in several styles from 
various dealers. I prefer the one known 
as the Two Piece L style. When re¬ 
quired for use they are opened and the 
bottom flaps are fastened with a gummed 
strip. After packing, the top flaps are 
folded over each other, making a double 
layer of corrugated paper on both top and 
bottom of the box. It is well to keep a 
supply made up and ready for use, but 
care must be taken to keep them clean 
and dry. 
HOW TO PACK 
With the made up box placed flat on a 
table, fruit gathered and orders received, 
careful packing is next in order. During 
the early part of the season the fruits 
were wrapped in small pineapple wraps, 
but later the wraps were discarded. The 
wrapping is believed to hasten the soften¬ 
ing of the fruit and is not in favor with 
some growers. A layer of fine excelsior, 
known to the trade as wood wool, is 
placed in the bottom of the box. On 
this the fruits are packed as closely as 
possible,—the number being governed by 
the size and shape of the fruit, and all * 
vacant spaces filled with the packing. 
When fruits from budded trees are 
used, the name, written on a slip of paper, 
was placed inside the wrapping or pasted 
on the fruit. This is allowable under our 
postal regulations, and will help in ad¬ 
vertising desirable varieties. The boxes 
were not wrapped after being packed, 
but were tied with No. 18 seine twine. 
The name and address of the grower, as 
well as of the consignee, and the word 
perishable, were written on the box. 
It is better to use gummed paper with the 
word perishable printed on it. 
MAIL SCHEDULE AND PARCEL POST RATES 
An effort was made to know how many 
hours would be required to place an order 
at the point of destination after being 
placed in the post office. This proved of 
much help in selecting the fruit to fill the 
order. The express rate on some long 
distances is cheaper and more convenient. 
The same kind of boxes were used for 
express as for parcel post shipments, and 
both methods of marketing were equally 
satisfactory for long distance shipments. 
A rule that will be of help in determin¬ 
ing the cost of transportation is, that for 
the first and second zones (which is up 
to 150 miles from any given point) the 
weight limit is 50 pounds, and the cost 
is 1 cent per pound, plus 4 cents; thus 50 
pounds would cost 54 cents. To the 
third zone (which is between 150 and 
300 miles from any given point) the 
weight limit is 20 pounds, and the rate 
2 cents for each pound plus 4 cents; thus 
20 pounds would cost 44 cents. To the 
