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Abstract
Excerpts from the report Summary: During the 1956-57 avocado season--November through March, inclusive--60 test shipments of avocados packed in 6 standard and 2 nonstandard types of containers were examined upon arrival at New York and Chicago markets. Eight shippers of the south Florida avocado industry made these shipments. The condition of the containers and avocados in these 60 test shipments was evaluated on their arrival in the Chicago and New York terminal markets. The results of the study give no indication that a shift to the exclusive use of containers of any one type of material--that is, wood, fiberboard, or wirebound wood--would be beneficial to the Florida avocado industry. It is suggested that avocado shippers, to minimize bruising and discoloration in transit, (1) use a generally tight pack, (2) leave some head-room between the fruit and the lid and experiment with the use of some type of compression pad, and (3) use moderate amounts of excelsior well distributed throughout the pack, especially along the sides and into the corners of the 1-layer boxes.