Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1907 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

THE APPLE PACK. Pointi In the Progressiva Methods of Hood River. To assist those apple growers who want to put a better pack of apples on the market the Oregon experiment station has issued some Information that Includes suggestions from the progressive methods of the famous Hood river apple growers. Most of the fruit of this region, it appears, is packed in what is known as the standard box, which measures in inches 10*4 by 11*4

by IS, but to accommodate certain apples a special box is used which is longer and a trifle narrower, being 10 by 11 by 20. These are all inside measurements. Experience has shown that as regards thickness of material the three-quarter inch is the best for ends, three-eighths for sides and one-quarter for top a nd-bottom. In speaking of the styles of pack the trade in general understands the packs only when designated as straight or diagonal. Many people prefer to designate the packs as three, three and onehalf, four, four and one-half or five tier. • ' In the straight pack the rows run straight across the to the edges. This pack includes all the three, four and five tier apples. The straight pack is very neat in appearance, but it is* rather severe on the fruit, as each apple tends to be pressed firmly against surrounding apples rather than into the spaces. Some packers place the apple on its side, others pack with the stems up, while some have the calyx up. The best packs should always have the bottom and top layers with stems toward the outside. In this way the apples do not tend to bruise as badly. The four tier consists of four rows across the top and four deep, Includ Ing the 96 (six tiers long), the 128 (eight tiers long) and the 112 (seven tiers long).

The diagonal pack, or diamond pack, as it is often called, is so termed because the rows run diagonally with the edge of the box. Its chief advantage is that it accommodates sizes that do not adapt themselves readily to the •tralght pack, although in some caaoe

We find tnat the diagonal contains the same number of apples as regain straight packs. The diagonal pack contains the half tiers, such as three and one-half and four and one-half. One of the advantages of the diagonal pack is that it allows the apples to adjust themselves more readily to the space in the box, for* when the pressure is brought to bear the apples tend to find spaces, whereas In the straight packs each apple is brought up firmly against its neighbor. In the three and one-half tier we find that more than three full rows and yet not four full rows are needed to fill the box. One can readily see that a good many apples would coffie in this class, and more different packs are being used with the three and a half than with any other.

Gray Wolves. Gray wolves are doing much damage In the upper Ruby valley. Montana, attacking not only the cattle, but yOung horses, according to the Country Gentleman. One man has lost twenty cattle. Wolves are also numerous in the Madison valley.

Southern Pastures. While very little attention has been given to the development of the southern pastures, it is demonstrated on farms throughout the south that an unexcelled pasture can be maintained for at least eight months in the year.— B. 11. Rawl.

FOUR TIER (112) STRAIGHT.

THREE AND ONE-HALF TIER, DIAGONAL.