82 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



have the good box packs, and for that reason I was not able 

 to put up all the apples 1 wanted to. 



Now, here is a sample. I went down to the market this 

 morning and bought two of their fancy apples sent here from 

 Washington. I think they are Western Gano. Just look at 

 them. I don't want anybody here to put up such apples in boxes 

 and mark them "State of Maine Apples." I do not understand 

 their being so poor, for they say western apples are uniform. 

 Here are two more they had at the banquet last night, but these 

 are uniform in size and a very nice pack. Notice the pack. 

 Here are the State of Maine apples, elegant fruit ; compare 

 them with the apples I just showed you. They beat the other 

 all out. That is nice looking fruit, and you put that in storage 

 and you can have it nearly all winter. Why can't all of our 

 apples be put up in this shape? 



Question : Did Chisholm Brothers make any special con- 

 tract to take a certain grade? 



Mr. Conant : No, I made no contract with them. They 

 agreed to use all that were satisfactory. 



Question: Did you pack more than one grade? 



Mr. Conant : No, all the same grade and size. 



Question: How did you pack in boxes? 



Mr. Conant: We used layers of paper and pulp heads. 

 Now, whoever undertakes to pack fancy box apples, be sure to 

 do it up good. If you want to do business, you want to start 

 in right, and you must have good fruit. That is the only way. 

 It has been tried a number of times but the apples were not 

 quite up, but whenever we start in business, we must do it 

 good and strong. Our apples that we furnished them are all 

 nicely wrapped and our association name is on each wrapper. 



Question : What do you do with the apples that you cast 

 out? 



Mr. Conant: Now, of course, there are a good many No. 

 I's left even after we have taken our fancies out and there is 

 always a market for them. The poorer grades can be used 

 for cider. 



Question : What proportion of the apples sent to the mar- 

 ket are eaten raw? 



Mr. Conant: The bulk of the people cannot afTord apples 

 at 50 cents a peck, and the majority of my customers say, 



