Packing Shed Efficiency

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 72, Issue 1, 15 January 1946, Page 49

Packing Shed Efficiency

Orchardists and Staff Supervision

By

A. R. GRAINGER,

Orchard Instructor,

Christchurch.

THE orchard owner or shed foreman, besides being responsible for the efficient management of the packing shed staff, should also see that the work of both graders and packers, as well as general hands, is up to standard. He should frequently check the grading, packing, nailing down, and labelling.

AS the colour requirement and russet allowance vary according to the variety, a card . giving the main details of the grade requirements for the variety being handled should be set up on the grading table where the hands can see it. Example: DELICIOUS. Fancy. Commercial. Minimum. Colour (not less than) .. .. .. 15% Colour showing N.C. Blemish (not exceeding) .... 3% 10% 15% Smooth Russet (not exceeding) .. 15% 100% 100% Solid Russet (not exceeding) .. .. Nil 30% During February only Gravenstein, Cox’s Orange, and a few other early varieties are being handled, and in most orchards a full staff is not required and staff organisation is not fully effective until towards the end of the month or the beginning of March. ' . . ■ . ■ . ■ Sizing the Fruit To pack fruit properly it must be sorted into sizes as near the same diameter as possible. When very small lots are being handled, sorting may be done by hand with an occasional check-up with size rings (see illustration). The metal ones are more compact, but three-ply ones of any size can be obtained readily. However, it is advisable to use a mechanical sizer for the crop of most commercial orchards. These ‘ machines size either by the diameter of the fruit or by its weight. The former are quite satis-

factory for handling varieties which are fairly round and even in shape, such as Jonathan, Ballarat, and Granny Smith, but are not so accurate when they are used on flat apples or on pears unless the machine is one using a belt on . which each apple is placed on its cheek. The ’ machine which sizes by weight will handle all shapes of fruit most .satisfactorily. An imported make originally set the standard in this respect, but sizing machines manufactured in the Dominion, are now available and do satisfactory work.

Sizing machines are almost invariably combined with sorting tables, on which the fruit is separated into the various grades, and the'whole is called a grader, which may be of one, two, three, or four sections, according to the number of grades it is desired to handle at one time. At present two sections are sufficient for the average commercial orchard to grade into Fancy and Commercial. Large packing sheds can do with three-section machines, and, should export of fruit be re-introduced, when three grades may be required Fancy, Fancy, and Com-mercial-even individual orchards with large output may require a three-section grader. ?

Some grading machines are made with eight bins only to each section, which often necessitates the packing of two separate sizes out of one or two bins on an average run of fruit. Ten bins per section are preferable. Before harvesting begins each season ail parts of mechanical graders should be thoroughly cleaned and working parts oiled and checked over for weak or badly-worn portions, which should be replaced immediately, or at least a spare part procured. Good lighting should be provided over the grading table. Packing The following are a few points on packing which should be kept in mind. 1. The packing stand should be at a height to suit the packer. When standing erect and extending the arms straight down into the case the tips of the fingers should just touch the bottom of the box. 2. Try to build the bulge on the pack by allowing a smaller pocket between the apples in the middle of the layer. This can often be achieved by the packer gently

pulling the fruit of the first layer towards him when three-quarters of it has been placed in position. This bunches the fruit more in the centre, and the second and subsequent layers go down more at the ends because of the larger pockets there. This is difficult to carry out with the highest counts of each style of pack. 3. Place each layer firmly into the pockets of the one below it.

4. When ready for nailing down the top of the pack should be higher in the centre (about ljin. above side board for export pack) but the end apples must be almost level with the end boards. Much bruising occurs in nailing down if this point is not watched.

Labelling To conserve timber supplies secondhand cases should be used for packing, provided they are clean, sound, and free from old brands. The illustration shows at bottom a case in need of the removal of old brands, in the centre one method of doing this, and at the top a neat method of labelling and branding so that the case will require a minimum of renovation for use again.

Small Fruits Raspberries: By February the main crops of raspberries will have been harvested, but Lloyd George and similar varieties will continue to produce some fruit until the autumn from blossoms on the current season’s wood. An application of Bordeaux 3-4-50 should be made this month where

cane wilt disease is known to be present in the district, and combined with this, or alone if Bordeaux is not necessary, an application of arsenate of lead powder I Jib. to 100 gallons of water is generally essential for control of bud moth caterpillar. Passion Fruit: Brown spot (Alternaria passiflorae) may be in evidence at this time of the year. Application of Bordeaux 3-4-50 will assist control. If vines whose foliage has become very dense are lightly pruned spraying will be more effective. Normally, however, this thinning should' have- been done in the spring. PASSION FRUIT Bulletin No. 135, “Passion Fruit Culture,” is now available free from the Department of Agriculture, Wellington