Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-28
PACKING ORANGES.
Importance Of Neat Appea rance
when the Boxes are Opened.

Il rNCat ARRGa - NO.
when the Boxes are Opened.
Packing fruit for transportation to
market is one of the most important
Lessons the horticulturist has to learn.
1t is doubly important to those of Cali
fornia. The fruit of this State has to
go over long distance to find market.
A great deal of it crosses the backbone
of the continent to find the home OF the
consumer. In making the trip across
the continent, over the great nnountain
ranges, much shaking up is undergone.
Everything depends on the style OF
goods as they arrive in the markets.
Dealers and consumers are not apt to
make due allowance for siuged
cat. They think thing is much as
looks to be. If box of fruit is regular
in size, clear, bright in color, and closely
packed, the buyer is disposed to think it
is good in quality. He cannot if he
would, and would not be allowed if he
could -eat the whole lot in order to SAM
pie it. He has to trust his eyes as his sole
means of judging what it is.
Now it Is easy enough to pack box
here in the orchard and have it look all
right when the grower comes to nail on
the cover. But it is another thing to
have the box cross the continent and ar
rive in st. Louis, Chicago or New York
in good order.
The first thing is the box to pack in.
Custom, founded on experience has set
tied this matter for all growers. There
is only one sort of box made. 1t is of
standard measure in all three dimensions.
The box mostly in use has section
across its center. dividing it into two
compartments. This is by all odds the
best box in use. 1t should be the only
one used.
The box being fixed upon. the next
thing is to fill it so full that it will be
full when it reaches its des tination. The
fruit specifically under discussion here
is oranges. These will bear considera-
Bile squeez zing without breaking. But,
they will not stand too much.
1t will be supposed that the pickers
know Just what they have been doing
that they have picked oranges that are
ripe and fit for the market, high colored
aud mature, that in taking from the
trees proper precaution has been OBJ
served not to tear the skin. The stem
should be cut close up to the base of the
orange. The fruit should not be broken
off or pulled in such man.
ner as to make a hole where the
stem Joined on. Then the fruit should
be handled with good deal of care, not
thrown about, bruised, or broken by
rough treatment. Thus collected, it
should be thoroughly dried, but not ex-
posed too much to the direct rays of the
sun just before going into the boxes.
1t should be ON the contrary cool when
it comes to be packed.
The next point is to select it as to
sizes. If a dozen sizes are put in the
same box, the package cannot be made
full. In the journey across 5000 miles
of country the small fruit is sure to
shake to the bottom, and the whole
parcel to work loose. On arrival such a
package will present very Indifferent
appearance. In the same box and the
same sized fruit should go. The selec-
tion should be made in the most thor.
ough manner. 1t will not do
to get the fruit all OF about the same
size. This matter must be reduced to
exactness. Having made such selec.
tions, take oranges of the same size and
lay them carefully into the boxes in
layers. Do not throw the fruit in at
haphazard Begin at the bottom of the
box, and lay in the layers closely and
carefully one over the other until the
box is quite fnll. The fruit should come
considerably above the edge of the box,
then laying the cover on force this down
and nail it securely on. If this work is
done properly, with care and exactness,
the box will open up in any city, after
travelling three thousand miles, in good
shape. The fruit which is closely packed
and does not shake about, goes to its
journeys end in perfect condition. 1t
is not bruised nor broken. 1t looks
fresh, regular aud attractive. When
the cover is removed the eye is pleased.
The fruit looks like good goods and is
bought ON its appearance at good
price.