The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1907-09-15


packing shed and properly pack box
of apples if they had to be hanged for
their failure. Such men can very
properly insist on the Importance of
having apples we'll packed, but they
can not tell how it is to be done. We
may even know how a thing is done
and then not know how to do it. One
is knowledge and the other is skill.
[ know how a man plasters overhead
but | can not do it myself.
T
AS indicated above, the fine packing
of fruit in boxes belongs to the Pacific
coast with very limited exceptions. 1t
originated here and here it must be
learned first by minute instructions
and then by acquiring the requisite
skill by practice. l can tell pretty
we'll on these pages how the work
should be done. Some of my advice
can be carried out readily, but some
of it can only be mastered by going
into packing house and working I'M
der skillful superintendent. To the
inexperienced it will seem that | am
overdrawing this matter, but not so
to the one who has gone through the
mill. The following things must be
attended to in order that apples may
be properly prepared for the market.
+
1. They must be carefully picked.
Bruised fruit will not keep well. 1t
is a question with growers whether
picking baskets or buckets should be
lined. No doubt for the very best
handling they should be. STILL if the
right kind of care is used they need
not be lined. We use some baskets
and some buckets. A bucket holding
ten or twelve quarts makes good
picking vessel. We have bought ten
quart galvanized buckets for 30 cents
each when bought by the dozen. They
would probably cost more now. All
the apples must be picked by hand.
No such thing as shaking from the
tree must be allowed. Apples must
not be thrown into the basket, but
carefully placed there with the hands.
We do allow pouring from the basket
into the box provided the box is tip
ped to one side and the apples gently
turned in. We use the common apple
box for hauling from the orchard to
the packing shed. These boxes can
be used over and over again. We
generally cleat them and make them
as strong as possible Thus treated
and carefully handled they will last
several years. Care must be taken
not to have the boxes so full that they
will shake off the box in hauling. A
suitable bed for hauling is made by
using two by six scantling with a
good strong bottom in it. There
should be springs under this bed.
Springs for this purpose will last
many years. A careful man should
be secured to do the hauling. The
boxes should not be carelessly slung
about when full of apples. Twenty
seven of these boxes make a good
load.
Il
2. The apples must be sorted. Two
methods are in vogue for doing this.
One is to have a man do the sorting
before they come to the packers and
the other is to have the packers do
this work. For exceedingly careful
work the first is to be recommended.
All damaged fruit, whether bruised,
attacked by codling moth or scale,
must be vigorously rejected. The
packer must do some sorting for it
will be very troublesome to sort all
the grades used. Five grades are used
and are three tier, three and half
tier, four tier, four and a half tier and
five tier. A good many people have
their packers do the sorting, but in
that case a shed boss will be needed.
He goes along and looks over the
shoulders of the packers and sees
that every box is properly packed.
We find such a shed boss is necessary
even if the apples are sorted before
coming to the packers. So we have
our packers do the sorting.
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