STANDARD BUTTER BOX.

Putaruru Press, Volume IV, Issue 137, 17 June 1926, Page 3

STANDARD BUTTER BOX.

5 IMPROVED TYPE CHOSEN. Important Results Gained. A standard butter-box for the export trade has been recommended by the State Forest Service. The recommendation is the outcome of exhaustive tests for the purpose of determining i the best type of box as liar as strength, 1 freight space, cost and appearance are ! concerned. The box recommended consists of I one-piece ends § of an inch thick, if of , white pine, or £ an inch thick if of silver-beech; one piece sides top and J bottom, f of an inch thick, if of white j pine and 5-16 of an inch if of silver- j beech; six cement-coated nails for nailing edge for white pine and four for silver-beech. In (addition the box is to j be bound with one centrally located / galvanised strap of hard metal, half an | inch wide by .018 of an inch thick. I It has been proved by experiment that this box is approximately fourteen times stronger than the present standard unstrapped box, occupies 3 per cent, less space and is from Id to lid cheaper It is also a highly-attraetive package. Full details of the tests carried out - with various types of boxes are given in an article in the last issue of the Journal of Agriculture. The object of the investigations, which were made at the request of the dairy division of the Department of Agriculture, was the improvement of the service-ability of the butter boxes now used in the export trade. That the request was well timed and the work thoroughly justified is indicated by the results. The tests reveal that the use of cement-coated nails is essential and adequate nailing is . of the utmost importance. Of timbers deemed suitable for butter boxes silver-beech ranks first, white pine second and spruce last when carrying quantities are considered. The one-piece-side box and flat i . strapping or wire binding of unan- ; nealed metal is of great value as a ( reinforcement on all boxes. Decreasing the thickness of sides, top and bottom 4 of white pine boxes below three-eighths : of an inch results in a marked reduc- 1 j tion in stre-erth. The value of the investigations to the dairying industry is obvious and the £ loss hitherto sustained through damage i to butter boxes in transit should be redueed to vanishing point by the adoption of the standard box. * A detailed specification for the con- £ struction of the standard box is con- t bained in the article. T