The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-06-01
is 1T ADVISABLE TO CHANGE THE
SIZE OF THE APPLE BOX?

This inquiry is suggested by the
fact that bill has been introduced
in Congress by Congressman Peter P.
Porter of the State Of New York,
which would require an apple box to
contain at least 346 more cubic inches
than the boxes used on the entire Pa
cific Coast. Is this desirable? Is it
right for men in the State Of New
York, where boxes are not used, to
force an undesirable box on to that
part of the United States where
boxes only are used? 1t is right for
the State of New York and all other
states where barrels are used to regu-
late their size, but the people VINO
use the box only are the best judges
of it's size.
The proper size of the apple box
is no new question on the Pacific
Coast. The matter has been threshed
out again and again in our fruit
growers meetings and box has been
settled on that is satisfactory to us
and fair and honorable to all others.
The Northwest Fruit Growers Asso-
citation. which is composed of the
states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
Montana, Utah and the Province Of
British Columbia, some years since
appointed a committee which wrestled
with this problem for three or four
years when they brought in report
that was adopted without opposition.
This is what is known in the entire
Pacific Northwest as the STANDARD
BOX" California has a box of prac-
tically the same dimensions, but is
two inches longer than the standard
Rox'' but is not so wide nor so deep.
These boxes are acceptable to the
trade both east and west. We have
sent to the Eastern cities of this coun-
trv and to Europe many millions OF
these boxes filled with our choice ap-
pies. There have been practically no
objections to the size of these boxes
and our trade is we'll established.
Moreover, there is no deception IN
our boxes. We pack by grading &C
cording to the number OF tiers in the
box, such as three tier, three and
half tier, four tier, four and half
and five tier. The number OF tiers is
marked plainly on each box. In much
of the packing done now the number
of apples is plainly marked on each
box No doubt this custom will soon
prevail on the entire Coast. No one is
left in doubt about the grade OF apples
he is buying.
But it is claimed that our box does
not contain a bushel of apples, but 1t
does. as shall now proceed to show.
What is a bushel? In other words
what are the cubic contents of a
bushel? Any one will find out by
taking the trouble to look the matter
up that our bushel came from Eng
land with our forefathers. In Eng
land from the time of Henry VII. the
standard for a bushel was what is
known as the Winchester bushel
which contains 2,15O.4 cubic inches.
This Winchester bushe1 therefore be-
came the bushel of the United States.
In 1926 England adopted what is
known as the Imperial bushel contain
ing 2.2182 cubic inches. Webster, in
defining bushel as the word is used
in this country explains this differ
ence between the Winchester and I'M
perial bushel and then adds that I'm
the United States the Winchester
bushel has been generally adopted"
He further explains that the State OF
New York has adopted standard for
bushel that practically makes 1t the
Imperial bushel. But If this bushel
used in New York were adopted In
all the states then the bushel would
contain 2.218.2 But the bushel recon-
mended by Congressman Porter's bill
would contain 1854 cubic inches, or
346 more cubic inches than any
bushel ever adopted by any state in
the union The half bushel measures
used in this state are based on the
Winchester bushel and contain 1,075.2
cubic inches. But the bushel recon-
mended in Porter's bill would require
the half bushel to contain 1882 cubic
inches or 2O7 cubic inches more than