Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-07-09
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| gong grades winch are Tree from
serious damage caused by dirt or
decay, bruises, cuts, scars, cracks,
heat, disease or mechanical or other
means, and which are not less than
one and one-half inches nor more
than three and one-half inches in
diameter.
In order to allow for varioations
incident to commercial grading and
handling, five per cent by weight
of any lot may not meet the require
ments as to diameter, and, in addl-
ton, six per cent by weight may be
below the remaining requirements of
United States Jumbo Grade shall
consist of sound sweet potatoes of
similar varietal characteristicbs
which are free from serious damage
ter, frost injury, decay. bruises, cuts.
scars, cracks, heat disease, insects or
mechanical or other means, and
which are not less than three and
one-half inches in diameter.
In order to allow for variations in
cident to commercial grading and
handling, five per cent by weight of
any lot may be less than the
diameter prescribel and. in addition.
six per, cent by weight may be below
the remaining requirements of this
grade.
United States Grade No. shall
consist of sweet potates not meeting
the requirements of any of the fore
going grades.
With the rapid promotion Of COM
mercial storage houses for sweet po-
tatoes in Georgia and the resultant
shipping of sweet potatoes in car
lots to points in other states, the old
method of shipping sweet potatoes in
sacks or in bulk was quickly aban-
doned. The storage house people ex-
perimented with many different
packages and as result the crate
was adopted. Up to and including
the season of 1919-1920 this crate
had an inside measurement of Tx
12X18 inches.
The United States railroad admin
istration has adopted the standard
| buShel crate as the crate for ship
ping sweet potatoes. Following is
the explanation of the size and con
struction of the standard bushel
crate as given by the United States
railroad administration
Observation-Disclosures inches inside
measurements.
Capacity-2,16O cubic inches.
inches), not less than thirteen-six-
teenths inch thick, made of one or
two pieces, stapled together, or panel
heads made of head sticks not less
than irteen-sixteenth inch thick
and one and one-fourth inches wide.
one piece not less than three six
teenths inch thick, securely nailed
to head sticks with not less than
four No. 16 gauge .seven-eighths- inch
wire nail top and bottom, and not
less than three No. 16 gauge seven
(total ten nails). The veneer may
be stapled on with eight double
pointed staples seven-eighths inch
long made from No. Is gauge wire.
al
Stats, three each on top, bottom and
sides, not less than three and one
half inches wide, one-fourth inch
thick and seventeen inches long, sta
pied together with cross cleats. at
each end, each three-sixteenths inch
thick and one and one-half inches
wide, using No. 20 gauge wire.
Making Up-Top, sides and bot
tom must be securely nailed with
not less than six cement coated four
penny nails in each end, two in each
Stat end.
wood Veneer or sawed-To he of
seasoned pine or gum or wood of
equal strength, free from injurious
| knots.
Note-When sweet potatoes are
shipped in this crate the Stats must
be three inches wide.
These specifications were adopted
at Jacksonville, Fla, at meeting
Of railroad Officials, package man
ufacturers and shippers, held in Au-
gust, 1918, and they were confirmed
at meeting held in Macon, Ga, NO
vember II, 1919. All those interest
ed in the storing and shipping of
sweet potatoes during the season OF
1920-1921 should take up the ques-
ton of proper, crate for that season
with the railroad officials Of tie
originates. There may be some
changes between the time that the
above specifications were agreed
upon and the season mentioned. The
house during the season Of 1920
are of 12x12x18 inches inside meas
urements.
The United States bureau Oh mar.
kets has suggested that experimental
shipments be made in one and a
half bushel crate, having the inside
dimensions 13x13x19 1G inches. Such
a container would hold 1892 cubic
4 inches, which would be approximate
ly one and one-half times 2,150 cubic
inches, the standard stricken buShel:
or approximately one and one-half
times the size of the standard bushel
crate discussed elsewhere in this
publication.
The reasons for desiring a crate
that is larger than the standard
bushel crate are given: The sweet
potato is a low-priced product per
pound; it has sold during the last
five years as low as one cent pound
wholesale and even during the high
prices Of 1888 it did not exceed 4
cents a pound. Generally, the larger
the package the less the cost of pack
age per pound. In using a larger
crate the package cost would be less.
Also there would be less wood to pay
freight on.
There are two objections to the
larger crate. First, the cost of han
ding in putting in storage and ship
ping will be greater than in handling
the standard bushel crate or in nan
ding the 12x12X18-inch crate. One
workman can carry the smaller crate
to the storage house and pile, but 1t
will possibly take two mon to handle
the larger crate. Second, the l3X13
inch head is not as commonly manu-
featured as a 12X12-inch head. The
latter head is used in crates for Gu
cumbers, onions, orange, grapefruit.
lines, muskmelons and other fruits
and vegetables. 1t being reasoned,
apparently soundly, that the manu-
facturer could supply the crate with
the 12x12-inch head cheaper and on
shorter notice than the 13X13-iuch
head.
Some sweet potato growers from
Alabama have been shipping. sweet
potatoes in hampers. The hamper
has not beer universally satisfactory
owing to it's poor qualities. This
may have been due to improper con-
struction and unnecessary rough han.
ding. There seems to be no doubt
that the hamper where one center
hoop Of Wire is used instead Of tWe
wooden hoops is not strong enough
for shipping sweet potatoes
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