The Delta independent., 1917-08-10
The Community Packing House.
George G.. GLADDEN..


George c. GLADDEN.
The community packing house is a
young institution in the northwestern
apple districts but it has come to stay
A great deal Of attention has been
paid to the production of the best
grade of apples and to the elimination
of as much expense as is consistent
with good husbandry. In many dis
tricts however each individual is
struggling along alone with his har-
vesting when he might by co-operat-
ing with some of his neighbors save
himself time, money and a great a.
mount Of worry. A distinct advantage
in the community pack is the greater
uniformity. The salesman tell us
that the strongest appeal can be made
10 the buyer. not by showing him that
in a certain lot of apples a few run
fair, many good and some very good,
but by showing him that they all run
good and true to grade
am told that buyers insist that the
best in grade is the standard for
that grade. This being the case the
man who puts up better grade than
the rules call for is working a hard
ship, not only upon himself. but upon
all those who are endeavoring con-
scientiously to put up grade true to
standard. In fact his crime. and it is
almost that. is quite as great as the
fellow who puts inferior stuff in the
higher grades. The community plan
OF packing is in position to reduce this
obstacle to better marketing to the
| minimum. In fact the community
plan has its chief merits in bringing
the grades more nearly up to or down
to, as the case may be, the uniformity
which is intended when the rules are
issued. No two growers viii give inter
pretations of the grading rules which
will line up in every particular. Each
has his own idea of what was intended
and these views are influenced by the
needs Of his crop. The personal eaua-
NaOA iAA ehC pa Ctdtiou vi
rules is a large one and must always
be considered
1t is said that a grower should not
do his own thinning, because there are
few who have the nerve to take off as
much as should be taken off. So also
grower should not do his own sort
inc fnr nSla11y ha will 10
close as he should. This tendency to
diverge from the standards set is
greatly eliminated in the community
house. The sorters here are absolutely
disinterested. many times not know
ing upon whose apples they are work
ing. They are thoroughly instructed
and know where the apples should be
placed. Their aim is to satisfy the
man under whom they are working
and to do this they must grade correct
ly. No matter to whom the apples be-
long. their business and the job de-
pends upon their keeping the grade
up to par
1t is usually conceded that it is with
the small grower that the greatest
waste occurs. BY the small grower |
refer TO those having less than 5000
boxes. The large grower has tonn-
age sufficient to warrant him in the e.
rection Of an apple house and in the
purchase of equipment necessary to
the economical handling of his crop.
The small grower. and it is really the
small grower that these remarks are
addressed, is not so fortunate II he
has these conveniences his overhead
eats up the saving which they work to
the large grower If he does without
them he is handicapped by real diff
ferential
The pooling OF the resources of sew
eral growers for harvesting purposes
places them as unit in very favor.
able relation. so far as expense of har-
vesting is concerned to their more
fortunate neighbors with the large
tonnage. They are able to erect
building suitable to take care of the
total tonnage at all insignificant cost
when compared with the cost to each
OF an adequate building of his own.
They are able to afford equipment
which means so much in the econom.
ical handling OF fruit Because of
this equipment the fact that It is