The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-05
SCIENCE PACK|NG
APPLES
Interesting Methods Taught
in Northwestern Schools
Last Year.

A writer in recent issue of the
st. Joseph, Mo-, Fruit Grower in dis
cussing the increasing demand for
box-packed apples and consequently
Of men and women capable of packing
the fruit scientifically, mentions sew
eral schools held last winter in the
northwest, among them the one at
North Yakima, commends their work,
and gives the following interesting
account of the work done at Walla
Walla:
THE school at Walla Walla was
held last January. Every morning
from 9 to IL and in the afternoon
from l to 4, instruction was given in
the art of packing, and in the evening
papers treating of various phases of
horticultural work were read by ex-
perts. The school lasted an entire
week, and certificates were given to
all persons who ATTAINED satisfactory
proficiency. No charge was made for
instruction, and the entire enterprise
was under auspices of G. L. Writ
ney, destirct fruit inspector, and the
commercial club, the members of
Which recognized the need Of having
plenty of trained help to handle the
| apple crop. In North Yakima a SINH
lar school was held by the fruit ship
ping association, and the Y. M. c. A.
of North Yakima held another
school. This shows how packers are
being trained in the Northwest.
| Experiment a Success.
| "A letter from the Fruit Grower S
correspondent at Walla Walla says
the school was in every way success
full. Sixty-five persons took the
course of instruction, and of this
number 20 fine packers were secured
The work therefore, was we'll worth
while. Our correspondent continues:
The course included instruction
in all styles of commercial packs.
The fruit was first graded as to size
and color, and the style of pack used
depended much upon the size of the
apples. The square or straight
pack was used for such apples as
would pack straight across the box
and make snug fit. The apples
must not fit too tightly, nor can there
be any slack We try to avoid this
style of pack as much as possible,
because the fruit bruises more than
in other styles, but there are some
sizes which can be best packed in
straight style We have only a few
sizes of straight-pack apples, as fol-
| lows:
Five-tier-This pack is five ap-
plies wide, and it is also five apples
deep, with nine apples in a row
lengthwise of the box, making 225
apples to the box This is the small
est apple packed for commercial pur-
poses.
/ 'Four-tier-Four apples wide,
four apples deep and nine long, or
144 apples to the box Fourier ap-
Piles are also packed four wide, four
deep and eight long, or 1913 apples
to the box; and four wide, four deep
and seven long, or 112 apples to the
box.
Between these sizes we have
other packs used for various sizes
The style of pack generally used is
variously known as broken lemon,
diamond and diagonal pack. The
latter name is more nearly correct
since the name is derived from the
appearance of the pack and the man.
ner of packing In making this pack
an apple is placed in each corner
of the box nearest the packer and
another apple in the exact center be-
tween these two; the next row con
sists of two apples placed in the
breaks between the three apples il
the first row. This system is follow
ed throughout the pack, three apple:
in one row, then two, then three, ant
so on One of the great advantage:
of this style of pack is that each ap
pie in the second layer rests in the
hollow space between the apples il
the lower layer, and the pressure
comes on four apples below, instead
of on one, as in the straight pack.
Small Size Diagonal.
The smallest size packed in thu
diagonal style is packed in the three
two manner, giving five rows of ap
pies to the row, in each layer; Their
are five layers in the box, maxim:
200 apples in each box. The mex
larger size is packed in the SAM
manner, except that each row con
tains only seven apples; thus Their
are five rows, seven apples to thu
row, in each layer, with five layer
to the box, or a total of IT'S apples
The next size is packed as de
scribed in the foregoing, except tina
each row does not end as above. Il
| the first described plan the row
| crosswise of the box alternate, tire
| apples in the first, two in the next
| and so on, the last of the crosswis