The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-04-01
Edited by F. Walden

which is h size agreed on IN THIS con-
ference? There is not a particle OF
proof that such sized barrel was chos-
en-. The original Porter bill, II the
barrel was to hold three times as
much as the box, would require a bar
rel containing 1892 cubic inches, or
666 more cubic inches than the barrel
finally agreed upon. Was that the
size of the barrel used on that occa-
sion? No one seemed to take the
trouble to settle just what size the
barrel was. 1t is extremely doubtful
if the barrel used was of the capac-
ity of 1926 cubic inches. Again,
were the three boxes chosen proper
ly representative of the Standard box
that we have been using in the North
west for the last eight years? And
boxes come up to the average in such
boxes? No n knows.
Another evidence of unfairneSS was
clearly shown by ~unwrapping the ap-
pies and putting the apples in the
barrel without the wrappers. Now,
let it be remembered hal the ques-
ton to be decided was. not how to
pack apples, whether they should be
wrapped or not, but the sole question
vas to determine the size of the ap-
pie box and it's relation to the barrel
agreed upon. Then whatever was used
to fill the box should have been used
to fill the barrel. Any honest man
would say that the apples should have
been put into the barrel just as they
came out of the box. We know that
if apples are wrapped it Will not take
quite so many to fill a box, but that
is not the reason We wrap them. We
wrap them because the trade demands
1t. Yea, we go further frequently n
put cardboard between the layers be-
cause the dealers in many OF the cit
les demand the use of cardboard.
Oftentimes our buyers have phoned
over to us to pack certain kinds of
apples by using cardboard because
the apples were to be sent to New
York City. We do this at consider
able expense to meet the demands of
the trade. The men who handle our
fancy fruit in that city know that the
apples come to them in better shape
if the boxes are lined with paper, the
apples wrapped and cardboard is
used. The question to be settled by
demonstration was not whether ap-
pies should be wrapped if packed in
barrels, or whether cardboard should
be used in such cases, but to deter
mine the relative size of the box and
barrel. 1t looks to me that this show
of a demonstration was intended to
deceive, and that it succeeded with
many who were present, but not all.
Before l close this subject of ap
pie barrels and apple boxes I want
to notice an article in the Chicago
Packer of March 6, 1909, %purporting
to be a report from N. G.. Gibson of
the Gibson Fruit Co. of Chicago. I
quote from this article as follows: "A
box must have a proper bulge to equal
the bulge and the heaped condition
of a barrel before being pressed down.
The explanation is made because
some critics keep up a controversy
regarding the bulge on boxes, which
Is no more in proportion than the bar
rel contains before being pressed"
l confess that l am amazed at this
statement. l know how easily a good
man may be mistaken and say things
in the heat of controversy that are
not strictly true. l am slow to i'm
pugn %anyone's motives, and will not
do so in this case, but l unhesitating-
ly say that this statement is mislead-
ing and does not correctly present this
matter. Mr.. B. e. Benedict, the Ag-
ricultural Editor of this paper and
also the office editor, is a man of
large experience in editorial work,
having been connected with farm pa.
pers in Michigan, read this article