The Apple Packing Revolution
A new mechanized system at the Kennewick District Fruit Growers' association transforms a chaotic shed into an efficient, clattering factory.
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A new packing table recently installed in the Kennewick District Fruit Growers' association warehouse is designed to reduce the labor and cost of getting apples and pears ready for market. Although the new machine has been in operation but a few days, it has already eliminated much of the fuss and confusion characteristic of local packing houses in the past. Where it formerly took six men to perform certain tasks, the new system handles the work with even greater efficiency. The machine, which accommodates eighteen packers, features an endless belt that carries fruit to specific grooves for grading, while packed boxes are moved via an incline conveyor to the loading platform. Manager H. W. Desgranges, who directed the installation, noted that the machine produces just enough noise to discourage idle chatter, allowing for more focused work.
“The whole system works like a clock and Manager Desgranges is about the most tickled man in Kennewick.”
This piece captures the transition from artisanal packing to industrial scale, a shift that built the region's agricultural economy. Modern Kennewick still relies on the legacy of these industrial efficiencies, even as the scale of fruit processing has moved into even larger, more automated facilities.
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