The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-01-14
DISCUSSED PACKING OF APPLES
PROF BRIEFLY ADDRESSED ASSOCIATION ON
DIFFERENT METHODS OF PACKING PROF
THoRNBER MADE STRONG TALK ON THE MAN
NER OF IMPROVING THE VARIETIES OF THE
VARIOUS COMMERCIAL ORCHARDS.

At the session of the Washington
State Horticultural association yes
terday afternoon the theatre was
packed. Every seat was taken both
on the main floor and in the galleries,
and many members of the organize
tion occupied the aisles. The crush
was so great that only members OF
the association were permitted in the
building
Methods of Fruit Packing.
Methods of Fruit Packing" was
the subject of the paper given by
Prof W. G. Briefly, of the Wash
ington State College. Mr.. Briefly
discussed in particular the diagonal
and the squar pack. Concerning
these he said:
The straight four tier square
pack which while on exhibition at
Spokane was scaled down on account
of the end row of apples being
bruised, could have been kept more
nearly perfect by greater care in
packing The cutting down of the
extra quarter inch or eighth inch
at the box ends by little more care
full selection would have given a
tight pack and no appreciate brus-
ing This point of proper height at
the ends of the square pack is of
great Importance, as the apples press
directly upon the ones below, afford
ing no accommodation as does thedi-
agonai pack. The apples should fin
ish practically flush with the boxend.
allowance being made only for
enough to hold the apples tight
without crushing. While the diag0n-
al pack Is better in many ways than
the square pack, I do not think it
advisable to put any heavy restric-
tons upon the square style. 1t is
a neat attractive pack and certainly
has it's place. More care in packing
would seem to correct It's worst
fault, that of bruising the end apples.
Still, IL we can pack the same apples
in either style, the diagonal style
would be given the preference. u
The diagonal pack, while it does
: not bruise the apples at the end OF
the box, and affords better accom-
modations throughout the box is
sometimes charged with the fault
of being loose. When this is the
case, 1t nearly always is due to what
might be called an open" pack in
that the apples do not touch all
around, touching four only instead
of six surrounding apples of the same
tier. This gives a greater possibil-
ity of the apples turning out of po-
sition and thereby loosening the
pack. 1t would seem possible to
remedy this fault by the use of the
other size box. If they pack open
In a special box, the extra half inch
in width of the standard ought to
bring them into a good close pack
Or if open in the standard box they
might be better suited Us a square
pack in special box. The "open'
style of the diagonal pack, should
not be used unless the apples will
fl in no other way The diagonal
pack at its best should of course
show no spaces between the apples
4 on either tier, but each apple should
touch all six of it's neighbors."
The speaker also advocated the
wrapping Of apples. He stated that
as the expense was but little it was
more than made up for in gains in
stability. and the apples being pro.
tected from being bruised Con-
corning labels he said: 1.-The color
scheme should be attractive but MOI
too gaudy."
Concerning size OF boxes his state
ment was brief but to the point
The sizes of boxes" said he, now II
use In the northwest were not pro
duced by any enactment of the legis
iature but was a result of 20 years
of experience. The proposed appl,
box law win set 1t back at least tel
years.
Improvement of Washington Fruits
Prof. w s. Thornber, OF the Wash
ington State college at Pullman, ad
dressed the convention yesterda,
afternoon on the subject of "Im
provement OF Washington fruit
Among other things Mr.. Thornbe
said:
Methods OF Improving Our Varieties
Scientists tell us We can improv
plants in three different ways. Firs
! by crossing two good Individual,
1 of the same or different varieties
and in this way form new varietie
which may have some of the desir
able traits OF each OF the parents