Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-07-21
2fericnlt,aral Department
I. D. 3. COLLINS, Editor.
A CRATE FOR APPLES AND
POTATOES.

M. L. Dunlap, the agricultural cor
respondent of the Chicago Tribune, thus
describes a crate used by him in this
season in picking apples. He says they
can be furnished by the shops for twenty
cents each:
1.-The bushel-crate consists of two
head pieces, IL by IA inches, and the
lath for side bottoms are II 2 inches
long on the outside. Six laths form
the bottom, and FIVE are put on each side.
Sixteen pieces of lath are sufficient for
two crates. One and half ounces of
four-penny, and one-fourth of a pound
of six-penny nails are required. The
bottom lath having two of the former
on each end of the lath, and the same
number of the latter for the sides. In
hauling from the orchard, or to market,
they are placed endwise on the wagon
bed. AS the two are So inches long,
there is plenty of space; and as they
are placed two deep-for, in filing, they
hold a bushel without rounding-we
are enabled to put thirty-four of these
crates in common eleven foot wagon
bed. The side of the bed should be IA
or Is inches, SO that the upper tiers
will not slide off. In using bushel bask-
cts, we get only fourteen to the load;
for it will not answer to place them on
each other, as they would bruise the
fruit
1t may be asked, Why do you use SO
many crates ? Simply, at least in part,
to save labor. By keeping the fruit in
the crates until ready for packing, or
for cider, it saves handling, and the
marring of the fruit. Then, again, it
saves space, for these crates Of fruit may
be corded up very compactly, and thus
occupy less space than bins or boxes !;
and, at last, they can be filled and put
in the cellar for Winter, and be made
to occupy any odd corner.
Then, they are far better than bask-
cts for the potato-p picker, as they have
the same advantage in loading as for
apples. A common wagon bed holds
twenty-five bushels in bulk, but thirty
two bushels may do put in the crates.
Then they are handy to load. You pick
crate and let it stand, when filed,
until you drive alongside of it with the
wagon; while, with the basket, you
must carry it to the wagon and empty
its contents, and when you come to the
cellar, the potatoes must be shoveled
into the basket in order to carry them
into the cellar. l am aware that some
people have chute at the cellar win.
dows for this purpose; but that is moi
one case in ten. Then, again, much o.
the earth that adheres to the potatoe!
and is Jared off in the handling, passes
. through the bottom of the crate. and il
thus disposed Of
But this not uH.- You go TO marh
ct with load of potatoes in the Winter
You have the crates, and put up you
load in them, say thirty-two bushels
In case you deliver at different points
as to families, or even to one party, they
need no shoveling, and this part of tn
= labor is saved. In case the load is sol
for weight, as all such things should be
e the crates are better to handle tha
: sacks, and can be put on the scales i
quantity, in case you weigh less tina
}, load at time. To the man of pota
v toes, this crate will come as labor-savin
b friend. and must rejoice him. But tn
e end is not yet, for, in the shipping {
e early apples, peaches, and the like, thi
It crate will have value for, while th
y crate now in use has little value beyon
kindling wood, this bushel crate, wit
Il handle-holes for ease of handling, wi
j. have value after the fruit is sold, ft
l. the market man will find use for it, ant
n thus buying it at a reduced cost at SCI
e ond hand, will use it for his crop of p
7. tatoes and other truck.
'e Now, the small fruits may be shippe
If in this same crate, for the form of IL
quart boxes may be changed to fit then
IS and this will give them another valu
1t In short, l do not know where we sha
80 stop in the use of this new utensil
d the orchard, the potato-feld, the true,
ID patch. for fruit shipping, and a thousar
uses that experience may dictate. II
ne heads may be prepared and shipped
ne plats, as are other crates and cases f
n fruits, and, when made in quantitie
in could be sold at reasonable cost.
&c made of yellow poplar, the heads ne
n not be over three-fourths of an inc
IL and a common shingle-nail would answ
od good purpose in making them u
n but if made Of pine, they must be ma
seven-eights of an inch after being DIRE
ed. Common pine lath is probably
good as lath made expressly for I
4. purpose.
FARMERS SENTIMENTs.-The folio