A New Butter Box.

Progress, Volume XIV, Issue 7, 1 March 1919, Page 457

A New Butter Box.

Big Saving in 1 imber Claimed. From the “Dominion.” The rapid depletion of the supplies of white v pine timber in the country has for some time been agitating the producers and exporters of butter. Up till the present no other timber has been found in New Zealand or Australia which is absolutely free from taste or smell, and which will, therefore, noi impart-any taint to the butter. Experiments with other timbers have been made from time to time, hut they have not been persevered with, chiefly 1 for the reason that it did not appeal- that there were any could be used instead of white pine.' A new idea has been developed, at least into the advanced experimental stage, by Mr Joseph Butler, managing director of the Kauri Timber Company \ Auckland. He has made a box which he claims .will he quite efficient, strong enough for a butter package, and much more economical than the old pattern box in timber. The box looks very , much like a solid wood box of the old type, but as a matter of

fact, the sides, bottom, and top of it are hollow. Although it appears that the box is made of ordinary boards, it is in reality made of two thicknesses of veneer, one-sixteenth of an inch thick, cemented on to nailing pieces at the ends, and to reinforcing pieces at intervals., The box is light, but it is claimed that it is quite as strong as the old pattern box, and that it will stand all the knocks that would be given to it in the process of stowage and handling at ports. These are matters that are to be tested at once. Mr Butler is supplying the Agricultural Department with 20 boxes, in which a trial shipment of butter is being sent away. If those boxes stand the test, the new scheme will be given a trial on a commercial basis. One of the advantages claimed for the new box is that, being hollow in all parts, the new box is insulated. This may not prove to be a matter of importance in practice, but it may be that it will be some advantage. Another advantage is that the box is light, and the saving in weight will mean saving- in frieght on rail. Mr Butler went into this idea of making the box of veneer because he had observed that there was much loss of timber in converting it from logs into boxes. There was the heavy waste of timber in saw cuts, and also there was the fact that only about 40 per cent, of the timber was suitable for the making of butter boxes. Then there was the loss of timber in seasoning, and the loss in dressing it. He calculated that a hundred feet of timber would make about twelve boxes. He hit upon this veneer idea at . first with'the idea of saving timber only. It should be understood that the veneer is cut with a very sharp knife from a rapidly turning log. It is stripped off like a shaving, at least as fast as a man can walk. It is as light and as pliable as paper, but it is surprisingly tough, even as it comes from the green log. It is hung up to dry, and it is seasoned in a couple of days, whereas box boards of the ordinary sort have to be cut from timber which ha,s been in stack at least six months. A great deal of time is saved at this point. A great advantage of the veneer is that in the making of it there is no waste at all. The surface of it is smooth enough, so that no dressing is necessary, and as the slice is taken off the log on its.gradually diminishing circumference the veneer is free from streaks such as. must appear when logs are cut with the saw. The general appearance of the box when it is made up is Aery like that of the present box, and it is consul cred to be a point of some importance that the character of the New Zealand butter box should be presented. Another advantage of the veneer process as against the old-fashioned saw process is that with the peeling machine small logs can be used. The machine will strip them down to a diameter of tour inches, and the core can be used for the nailing' pieces and the reinforcement of thy two sheets of veneer of which the box boards made. These pieces are put in position, with a machine, so that there will be no loss in expensive hand labour. It is calculated that at least. 17 times as many,boxes can be taken from a given quantity of logs as can be cut by the present sawing process.