EXPORT OF APPLES.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 1271, 12 February 1910, Page 4

EXPORT OF APPLES.

WOOD WOOL. In view of the early shipment of apples for London, from the Nelson district, Messrs E. Buxton and Co., Limited, have supplied the following information re wood wool, which should be of interest to intending shippers. . The opinion express- sd is by one who has had considerable, experience in the business. "I have frequently been asked of late by growers for an opinion on' the value' of wood wool as a packing material for apples, as compared with corrugated, strawboard, .and I take this opportunity 'of circulating my reply more widely. Any grower who has taken the trouble to test the two materials has very quickly settled the point to His own satisfaction. He has found that placed at the bottom of a case of apples a sheet of corrugated cardboard is practically valueless, inasmuch as the weight of 401bs.- of fruit immediately flattens out the tubular corrugations, and they offer no more resistance to pressure or concussion than -a sheet of plain cardboard; whereas a pad of wood wool provides a soft and resistant cushion for the fruit to rest on, and acts as a valuable protection to it. As a packing material at the top of the case corrugated strawboard is of still less value, for as every grower knows, the uppermost layer of apples in a case is far from even, and a flat sheet of cardboard therefore only protects the fruit from the pressure of the lid (as far as it does so at all) where it stands highest, and does not take effect on that which lies lower. Moreover, in the course of carting a very short distance the fruit nearly always settles down to a considerable extent, and ; the sheet of strawboard is then of no ' use for keeping the fruit in position ; whereas a thick pad of wood wool laid on the fruit provides a soft, springy, and expanding cushion, which fits it- , self into every space between tho apples themselves, as well as between j the top layer of fruit and the lid, and i holds * the fruit firmly in position, whilst completely withholding from it the pressure of the lid. Finally, , everyone is familiar with the limp condition to which a very small amount of moisture reduces a piece of cardboard, and moisture is unfortunately | only too prevalent in the cool chambors : of the fruit steamers, as growers know I to their cost. No grower who has had an opportunity of seeing his fruit opened out in London" has any doubts remaining in his mind as to the superioritj' of wood wool as a means of protecting it whilst in transit._ If strawboard werci really more suitable than wood wool as a packing material for fruit then the argument would apply equally as well to pears as to apples, for what would effectually protect the one would as effectually protect the other. Yot who would think of pack- • ing pears iv strawboard?" | __