The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-09-13

An Iowa Exhibit that illustrates the
Iowa orchards will not be sources
Of satisfactory profit to their owners
until orchardists learn how to cell
the fruit they grow. 1t is important
to produce choice apples in abundance
out it is just as important to market
them right. There is no money in I'M
sold apples, nor apples sold for half
or third or even less part Of what
they are worth.
Iowa apple growers are waking up
to the Importance Of grading and
packing fruit for the market because
Of the competition which has arisen
from the shipments Of far western
fruit into the east, and the invasion
of Canadian apples also. Poorly
graded and packed fruit from Iowa
and elsewhere has had to take the
poorer prices when offered for sale
alongside the better packed product
of other districts.
The question is often asked if the
fruit growers Of the central west
could compete with those Of the
west if their apple products were
packed in boxes. The answer is that
the same grade Of apples put up in
the same manner would easily find a
market in competition with the west
ern grown fruit. Our main difficulty
in Iowa is that we do not grade our
apples. Some people have the idea
that the box is what sells the fruit
and have attempted to place their
products on the market in a shiftless
sort Of pack. This has without ex-
ception proved failure. Far more
important than the package is the
grading and method Of packing.
At the present time, even in the
more advanced fruit growing Sec
tons, grading is done almost alone as
regards size and color. But little at
tention is given to flavor and size
demands more attention than color;
all these things should be taken into
consideration and on very nearly an
equal footing. The quality should
have, and is demanding, more atten-
ton. If the growers of the middle
west will carefully grade and pack.
taking quality into consideration, the
Ben Davis and other apples of poor
quality grown in the far west, where
they take on high color, will not en-
ter into competition with their fruit.
Some of our better growers in this
section try to put up a pack fairly
free from worm injuries, but most do
not grade closely enough along this
line. Canada and the western states
do not allow wormy apple to 60
into fancy grade and prohibit their
being exposed for sale.
An apple to be of No. I grade,
called fancy in some sections, should
contain no coddling moth or other
worm injuries, should be absolutely
free from scab and then should be
placed with apples Of very nearly
equal size and color.
Second grade apples should not be
those that are wormy or scabby, but
should be equal to those Of Nc. I
grade in every way except size.
Both grades should be Of even size
and color.
Use only the better grade Of boxes
for packing in boxes. White are
much to be preferred to darker wood
boxes because they have a neater ap-
pearance and sell better. A cheap
box is likely to split and never look
we'll on the market.
There are two general sizes Of
boxes in use in the northwest which
seem to accommodate the different
sizes of apples nicely The standard
box is 10hx111ax1S inches: the spe-
cial, 1Ox1lx2O inches. The ends
should be not less than Is inch, the
sides p inch and the top and bottom
4 inch. This gives box that will
stand shipment, and which will have
enough spring to take up slack, when
properly bulged in packing.
Innings Of paper should be used in
the boxes, as this keeps the fruit
clean and prevents considerable bruis-
ing. The better grades may we'll be
wrapped. Some packers use paste
board between the layers, but that is
not gaining favor, as it seems need
less expense. They may impress the
purchaser, however, that unusual
care has been taken in packing.
There are three general styles of
packs-the straight, the diagonal and
the Offset. The diagonal is the most
popular. The offset is especially los
ing its favor because it leaves such
q large number Of blank spaces at the
side Of the box, In the straight
pack the apples rest one upon an
other, so that the bottom apple in a
tier receives the weight of all those
above it and usually there are four
bruised spots on each apple where it
meets its neighbor. In the offset and