CARRIAGE OF BUTTER.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 18896, 11 January 1927, Page 10

CARRIAGE OF BUTTER.

NEW FORM OF BOX. SAVING WOOD AND SPACE. (from oub own cobhespokdeht.) LONDON, November 27. A trial consignment of New Zealand butter contained in a new form of box has arrived in London, and given great satisfaction to the consignees and others. If the prico of manufacturing this new type of bos is no higher than that of the ordinary white pine box it is likely that it will be generally adopted in New Zealand. The patentees, Messrs Ellis and Burnand, a firm of whom Mr Harry Valder is managing director, set out to make a box to economise in white pine timber. They not only accomplished their object, but they have incidentally introduced into the new box advantages which will mean a considerable saving in space, in labour, and at the same time which will add materially to the quality of the butter. Compared with the standard box with gin ends and Jin sides, tops, and bottoms, to contain 561b of butter, the new box weighs 41b as against the 71b oi the ordinary box, thus immediately Bhpwing a saving in freight costs as well as a saving in timber. The inner portion is of white pine veneer, Jin thick only, to which are affixed by casein cement sawn battens Jin thick at regular intervals, the boards after cementing being nailed together by the standard nailer. One advantage of the Jin board is that it can be absolutely seasoned. The ends of the box are of sawn timber Sin thick. Saving of Ten Per Cent. Space. The new boxes can be packed close together in the freezer, affording a saving of 10 per cent, of chamber space, while the shipping companies save 10 per cent, in freezer space; and, in addition, the use of costly battens to separate one layer of boxes from another, both in the ship's hold and in the freezing chamber, is rendered unnecessary. Butter thus packed freezes in three days, as against five required in the ordinary box, while the butter will thaw in two days' less time. This is a further point advanced in favour of the new box, ae the more rapidly these processes are accomplished the better is the butter. Then, again, owing to tho manner in which the battens are placed at intervals on the box, it is easily handled, and there is no wire to tear the hands of the many persona who handle the boxes in transit from the dairy factory in New Zealand to the retailer in England. Rough Handling. It has to be remembered that butter* stored in England Has not hitherto had tho advantage of battens set between the boxes. The new box carrieß its own battens, and whether in the ship's hold or in cold; storago in Now Zealand or.England it is always sure to have a proper circulation of air about it. The Tooley street firms which have handled the consignment from the Cambridge Co-operative Dairy Company, have subjected the boxes to rough handling, with satisfactory results. A full box- thrown.down on to a concrete floor from the height of a' man's shoulders took not the least harm. "When a box was thrown violently and directly so that one of the top corners struck the floor the result was to raise the lid a fraction of an> inch—just enough to permit an instrument to be inserted in order to raise the lid. All the boxes wore in perfect condition after their journey from New Zealand, and only one slight casualty had occurred, thiß being due to faulty nailing. ■ Mr Valder, before leaving England, • arranged for one of the boxes, fully packed with butter, to.be returned to his firm in .New Zealand, in order that a round-the-world test might be carried out.