Methods of Packing and Shipping Citrus Fruits 
H. B. Stevens 
Mr. Stevens: Mr. President, Ladies 
and Gentlemen : I think it is rather out 
of order to call on this committee after 
hearing such an address as we have had 
on the same subject. It seems as though 
we can add nothing, and what we may 
have to say will fall rather flat after lis¬ 
tening to such a fine talk as that was, 
I presume I was given this subject so 
that I might offer such suggestions as I 
thought would help the grower to get his 
fruit to market in the best condition. In 
order to do that one must begin earlier 
than the packing house. The grower 
must know his fruit. 
If he has some that he knows are deli¬ 
cate, and likely not to carry well, then he 
should so fertilize that part of his grove 
as to make the skin a little tougher. If 
he has a variety that does not carry well 
late in the season, then he should ship 
that earlier. 
Then the greatest care should be taken 
in the picking and handling of the fruit, 
from the tree to the car, all. along the line. 
First. Have such clippers as will give 
the best results in cutting the stem close, 
and not injure the orange. 
Second. Have baskets lined with cloth, 
so that the fruit will not get bruised in 
being placed in the basket, nor jammed 
by coming in contact with tree or ladder. 
Third. Do not allow the picker to empty 
his own basket, but have a special force to 
do that work, so he will not be tempted to 
pour his fruit out of his basket, when 
the boss is not around. 
Fourth. Have your wagon so construct¬ 
ed that you can haul your grove boxes 
without putting one box on top of anoth¬ 
er. 
Fifth. Have springs of some kind to 
take the jar off your fruit. 
Sixth. Have no ventilator cracks in 
your field boxes except at the bottom cor¬ 
ners, so your fruit will not get pressed 
into them, and so receive injury enough 
to permit the rot germ to find lodgment, 
but not enough injury to attract the at¬ 
tention of the grader. 
Great care shoud be taken in feeding 
the fruit to the washer or sizer. I visited 
a packing house this winter and saw them 
grading tangerines; two men were empty¬ 
ing filled boxes into the hopper that sup¬ 
plied the grader. They piled the fruit so 
high that finally they had to put a full 
box on top of the pile to empty it. I 
thought, what is the use of putting tange¬ 
rines in trays to make them carry well if 
they would stand all that. All fruit 
should be shipped as soon as possible after 
it is picked, for the fresher you can get 
it to the market, the better your trade will 
like it. 
Fruit may be picked even when the 
