66 6

'Making Sure' Builds Business.-The greatest obstacle to be overcome is inertia and carelessness. The best scheme carelessly carried out will bring only indifferent results. The most important thing is the individual who has charge of packing goods for export. This man must be systematic, careful, and above all, conscientious. In case he is inclined to 'let things go' he will lose many valuable customers for his concern. It is a fatal error to allow any machine to go out with any important part missing. It would be ten times better not to make the shipment at all.

"A very good system must be inaugurated and carried out by a careful, painstaking, conscientious man to see that every machine goes out complete. The man needed is one who will, in case of doubt, entirely unpack a machine 'to make sure.'

"We know of cases where the most serious disappointments to foreign customers have resulted from a very small but important part being left out on an expensive machine. This was done simply through inexcusable carelessness in the packing department. When such mistakes occur in domestic shipments they do not result in serious loss due to the fact that the dealer or jobber in question simply wires the factory and receives the part in a few days. In Bombay or Calcutta it would mean a season's work lost at least: imagine the effect upon the customer!

"One Successful Plan.-Machinery, especially, must be completely disassembled so as to pack in the smallest number of cubic feet and to prevent bending, springing or breaking of parts. To make the description very concrete, a particular implement is taken and carried through the process, mentioning the smallest details. A three bottom engine gang plow is taken as an example. This plow weighs 960 pounds net and 1,090 pounds gross. Thus it will be noted that the weight of the packing is only 130 pounds. The cubic measurements of the crated plow is 161⁄2 cubic feet, which means 66 pounds per cubic foot. The dimensions of the box are such that it is just

long enough to admit the beams, just wide enough to hold the wheels, and just high enough to admit the remainder of the parts without any lost space (see illustration, page 372). The plow must be packed in just a certain way or it will not fit in the case. A further advantage is gained in that the beams and wheels furnish very strong interior bracing.

"The boxes are made of carefully selected 1-inch gum wood which has given very good service throughout, and all nails are cement-coated. A number of additional precautions are taken to insure goods arriving in good condition and their being assembled easily. In the first place mold-boards, bolt threads and other exposed metal parts are coated with an anti-rust compound similar to that used by the United States Ordnance Department on arms, to thoroughly protect them from rust. Another precaution taken is to leave bolt in hole where it belongs with nut screwed down sufficiently to prevent its losing out.

'Many companies pack all bolts and nuts in a box together; but it has been found a very great help to men abroad, especially if they are inexperienced, to have the bolt left where it belongs, thus greatly facilitating setting up. In illustration page 375 we show box which holds the plow in question and the disassembled plow spread out before the box. In packing these parts straw or excelsior is used to make the packing tight and to prevent the parts from being damaged by too much jostling about. The completed case is shown also. After the lid has been nailed on the whole is reënforced by three metal straps. These are not the flimsy tin which is often used on packing cases and is seen even on very large boxes, but is a very heavy gauge band iron 7 inch wide. It is there for real service and not for looks. As above stated, plows and other implements packed as described above arrive at their destinations in very excellent condition."

Instruction Sheets. At least one consideration in connection with exporting of agricultural machinery deserves emphasis-that is the necessity of including in every shipment and in every case very simple and ele

mentary instruction sheets in the language of the farmers of the country to which the shipment is destined, in order that there may be no difficulties and no delays in erecting the machines by inexperienced agricultural labor, which is not often experienced in engineering or even mechanical work. Such instruction sheets should not only consist of lists of the various parts contained in each case, but should describe them, referring to them by numbers which should be conspicuously stamped in or painted on the respective parts. Machines which are dismounted should always be accompanied by drawings and photographs showing exactly how the parts are to go together, and what the whole looks like when completed. Various ways of identifying different parts may be adopted, besides the custom sometimes adopted of stenciling varicolored lines, circles or other devices across adjoining parts in such a fashion that half of the mark will appear on each part when disassembled.

Such advice applies no matter if shipments are intended for dealers, merchants, or distributors in a given market, because frequently cases containing machines in knocked down shape are forwarded by such distributors directly to their farmer customers, who may want to set up and assemble the machines immediately, without waiting for the possibly delayed arrival of the distributor's own engineers and mechanics. In any event, the more simple and intelligible the instructions given with the list of contents for each case shipped, the better the resulting satisfaction is bound to be.

Packing of Mowing and Harvesting Machines.-One of the largest manufacturers and exporters of harvesting machinery in the world writes the following interesting letter regarding its packing:

"Harvesting machines can be packed in relatively small packages, for convenience of handling. They are also constructed to facilitate compactness in packing. Our present packing is the result of long experience and the design in some measure conforms to requirements of packing. Tractors and heavy engines, on the