FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
47 
fully demonstrated by experiments of the 
Government experts in actual tests : There¬ 
fore; bruises that are thoroughly dried 
cannot decay from “blue mold,” unless 
the spores have been forced deep into the 
rind in the presence of constant moisture. 
Ladies and gentlemen, I acknowledge 
that “Hot Air” is my hobby—to dry 
oranges in—yes, to live in. I can fully 
sympathize with the Esquimo, to whom 
cold is Hell, and heat is Heaven. 
The reported opinion of the worthy 
business manager of the Exchange to the 
contrary notwithstanding, who advises 
through the “Grower,” all new packing 
houses to put in the cold air process. 
We of the Lake Region Packing Asso¬ 
ciation, at Tavares, after two seasons of 
the most absolute satisfaction with hot air, 
beg to differ and say, don’t! 
Our manager, Mr. J. B. Booth, will 
take great pains and pride in showing 
any one interested all the details of our 
system, its advantages, cheapness of in¬ 
stallation, cheapness of maintenance, etc., 
and while in operation its absolutely sat¬ 
isfactory workings. In this matter we 
have no “axe to grind,” or financial in¬ 
terest in marketing any part of it. We 
only urge its principles for the benefit of 
all growers, after extensive demonstra¬ 
tion. Come see us and “be shown.” 
PACKING 
From the frequent returns of inspect¬ 
ors at the marketing end. “slack,” or “flat 
pack,” it is evident it is no careless job to 
pack fruit so firm that the box is as full 
at the market end as when it was first put 
in. It is evident that it requires the con¬ 
stant application of force to place every 
orange firmly in its place, and that the 
sizer shall be so exactly adjusted that the 
average in each bin shall fill the box 
firmly. 
As I go through packing houses, I see 
some packers laying their oranges in 
gently, and when the box is finished, it 
is piled high, depending on the foot press 
to push them down so the top can be 
nailed on. Others place each orange 
firmly in place, and when their box is 
done, the press only has to firm the top 
down to its bulged form, and the middle 
front is held as firmly as the ends. I 
then ask myself, how it is possible for the 
soft pack and the firm pack to give the 
same desired effect; the answer is, they 
can’t. My opinion is that the loosely laid 
in fruit is the cause of the frequent com¬ 
plaint, “flat pack.” 
TO TWIST-OR WAD ■ 
•r 
I believe that a single twist, or suffi¬ 
cient to cause the wrap to stay in place, 
especially on the top layer, is necessary. 
Placing all brand printing on wraps in 
the same direction on top layer gives the 
most pleasing effect to the pack. 
REGARDING THE SIZES TO MAKE 
My attention has been called to the 
sales returns on account of size. Out of 
a considerable number of sales returns, I 
have been shown that 216’s often brought 
io to 25 cents per box less than either 
200’s or 250’s. I have never heard of a 
reason for the 216 pack, except that it 
was an easy pack. If it is true that 216’s 
average less than 200’s and 250’s, why 
should we continue to pack that size, when 
