PACKING APPLES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1725, 16 April 1913, Page 10

PACKING APPLES.

DEMONSTRATION BY AN EXPERT. "The export fruit trade of New Zenlaud is going to be a big industry belore long," said Mr. G. Stratford, of the Orcuards Division of tlio Department uf Agriculture, during a rccent uemoustratiuu of apple-piy?Hii)g for tho benefit of Wnhganm growers. 'ino wrapping ami packing of tnc iruit, Mr. Stratturd added, would be among tho most important ieatures of tlio industry. Care, lie said, should bo exercised in picking the fruit. He could not. say tho exact, tiino for picking, because thero was no definite '.rule," but considerable carelessness bad been shown in New Zealand in the picking of fruit, and a bad effect was tho consequence. Tho fruit should not be pulleu, for fear of carrying away tho root spur, and thus depriving tho branch of an apple the following season. It should come away easily when, a slight upward .twist was. given. Many growers, he continued, had a habit of pinching the fruit. Apples were not eggs, but to obtain the best results they, must be'handled as eggs are handled—with the greatest care. ! Continuing, Mr. Stratiord pointed ont 'the necessity of the provision of packingsheds, the size to be in accordance with the size of the orchards. Tlieso should ■be well-lighted and well ventilated. Tho practice of using the same case for picking' and packing the fruit was wrong. Nice, clean boxes should bo used for sending the fruit away, while a picking- \ bag or a felt-lined pail should be used for picking. The most important part ,of •tho furniture of the packing-houso was , unquestionably the table. ■ The" simplest ' kind was. the most suitable, and that was composed of a rectangular frame with the canvas top, which should have a sag' in the-centre. . After referring to the necessity for culling and grading, Mr. Stratford spoke at some length 011 the Wrapping of the fruit prior to packing. In a matter of two or three years, in his opinion; wrapped fruit would bo in the front both for export and for the local market as well. There were, said Mr. Stratford, two methods of packing viz., straight or squaro packing, or diagonal or pocket packing. From a spectacular standpoint the former method would undoubtedly be tho best, but Mr. Stratford gave 110 encouragement that this system should be pursued. Diagonal packing was the most approved method known,- and it could bo used for all ■grades of fruit. "With this method of packing the advantages of wrapping the •fruit could be enumerated as follows:— (1) The paper, which was rough on one side and glazed on tho other/acted as an effective cushion to the fruit, abovo and below; (2) it helped to retain the aroma of the fruit; and (3) it impressed tho buyers that a great amount of trouble had been taken with tho fruit; (4) tho paper acted as an absorbent, so that if an apple went bad it prevented the decay from spreading. . Mr. Stratford strongly advocated the labelling, or branding of_fruit, which was done extensively in America. Labels did a lot to sell the fruit, and while at Covent Garden lio saw thousands of cases of American fruit sold by the label alone. Ho strongly advised New Zealanders to ■take a leaf from that book. Continuing, Mr. Stratford said that When picked, all > apples should have their- stalks on, for if the stalks were plucked out, an opportunity was given for diseaso and rot to find its way into the fruit. Mr. Stratford finally demonstrated how to pack apples by the method 110 had outlined. He was particularly careful in explaining how to wrap the fruit, and just how to lay it so that each apple fitted tightly. No apples, ho advised, should bo left on. the table more .than an hour.