Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-06-20

Few people realize, when they sit
down to a dinner including fresh
fruits and vegetables, the great
problems confronting the producer,
carrier and jobber in packing, load
ing, preserving in transit, or market
ing these perishable foodstuffs. Sys-
TENS of marketing have been so de-
veloped that these perishab1e prod
ucts can be placed in prime condl-
ton at the very door of the consum'
err. Even when the snow covers the
ground in the north, people In large
cities are supplied with straWber-
ries and oranges from Florida, caul-
flower and lettuce from California,
and green onions and radlshes from
Louisiana. -
While many problems have been
solved, others have been only par
tally cleared away. The proper
type of packages or containers Tor
marketing perishables comes in the
latter class. A visitor to any whole
sale district in a large city is con-
fronted with a confusing array OF
baskets, boxes and crates of every
conceivable size and shape, which
may cause him to wonder how bust
ness can be carried on under such
circum stances. .
Berry and Grape Baskets Standard
The first piece of national legis-
and vegetables applied to barrels,
which was followed by the standard
container act in 1916, standardizing
berry boxes, climax or grape pas
kets and other small containers.
Now all berries and grapes that
move across state lines are carried
in standard sized packages, while
manufacturers no longer make other
types of grape and berry baskets.
This insures a square deaP to pro-
Queer and consumer, because the
| full-measure baskets mean that the
producer no longer loses on over
size containers and the consumer
gets full measure when he buys per-
ries and grapes.
Various states have passed laws
standardizing other forms OF con-
| tainers, but there is sometimes lack
| of uniformity in these state laws
and confusion arises at receiving
markets. This is especially true IN
| the case of hampers in which vast
amounts of fruit and vegetables are
| shipped each year from many pro-
| ducing sections.
| To eliminate much of the con-
fusion and simplify marketing prod
| ucts in hampers, the United states
| department of agriculture favors the
Standardization of hampers along
| three general. lines as to capacity,
dimensions and strength.
| The hamper basket is a popular
shipping container, particularly in
| the eastern and. southern states.
Each year about 100000 of these
baskets, of all sizes, are manufac-
| tured in about 100 factories near the
| large producing sections or in the
timber areas. Some or the larger
| factories turn out from 100000 to
| 100000 baskets annually, and one
| firm is known to have an output of
| over 100000. BY the use of ma
chimes making 500 to 500 baskets
daily, the manufacturer has been able
| to increase his output greatly over
| hand production.
Drawbacks of Present Methods
These hampers are now made in a
wide range of sizes, from eight quarts
to fifty quarts, some sizes containing
| even fractions of quarts. With such
a wide variety, it is difficult for a
commission dealer to know which to
order. There is also a wide differ
ence in quality. Manufacturers have
catered to the demands of the grower
for a cheap package, and in doing
so have sacrificed strength. The
shipper who uses f1imsy baskets is
penny wise and pound foolish" for
frequently he stands to lose 500
worth of products in shipment when
he saves 81 in the cost of his bas-
kets. Railroads are often expected
to make go6d these losses in transit
and are sometimes called upon to
pay unjust claims. The railroads,
however, have been at fault in ac-
cepting perishables in light, fiimsy
containers, and the breakage, fur
thermore, is often brought about
by unnecessary rough handling. 1t
must be remembered that in the end
the consumer has To pay for all such
losses as we'll as for the. trouble
from so many different kinds and
sizes of baskets. '"v
Five Sizes Would be Ample
A thorough canvass by the bureau
of markets in the various producing
sections has resulted in the conclu-
ample. These sizes are the 8-quart
or peck basket; the 16-quart or half
hushel basket; the 20-quart or 5-8-
bushel basket; the 32-quart or bushel
basket; and the 48-quart or 11-2-
bushel basket Two shapes are rec
commended for the last named. To
drop any of these sizes would be
detrimental both to the trade and
to the public interest, and to add to
them would mean useless and un-
necessary packages.
By standardiZing the dimensions
of hampers, the purchaser will be
able to determine whether he has
been sold a standard or non-standard
basket, simply by taking the meas
urements of the top, bottom and sides
of the basket 1t will not be nee
essary to call in an inspector or to
| unlawful, inasmuch as the dlmen-