PROCEEDINGS OP THE ANNUAL MEETING. 155 



FROM MR. R. A. BURNETT. 



1 



In compliance with your request to furnish a short paper upon the pack- 

 ing of fruit, we herewith submit the following. In doing so we fully 

 understand that it will be difficult to say anything new on this very impor- 

 tant matter. Some three years ago you had us on record on this subject, 

 but as many do not seem to understand how important a thing it is to pack 

 fruit honestly and intelligently, the following may not be without value. 



Lawton and vicinity, in years past, made an enviable record for the 

 packing of its greatest product, the grape crop. Until within the last two 

 years, to say that the grapes were Lawtons satisfied the purchaser that he 

 was getting a- full package of honestly put up fruit ; not clusters on the 

 top layer in the basket and loose ones underneath, nor baskets only three 

 fourths full, as has been notably the case this past season. Especially has 

 this got to be a nuisance since the growers are shipping as an association. 



The different growers putting their fruit into the same car, and being 

 consigned from one firm, they become mixed up and we have honestly and 

 heavily packed fruit in a number of packages and others will be light- 

 packed and undesirable. It certainly has made the best dealers shy of 

 buying Lawton grapes as they run, and it puts the seller to the inconven- 

 ience of sorting out the different packages and selling them upon their 

 merits. 



This hardship should not be imposed upon the commission merchant, 

 for the fruit has to be handled expeditiously, and all hands are busy dur- 

 ing the market hours, and unless grapes are held over for a day there is 

 no opportunity to sort them. 



Reputation is a most excellent thing in business. We are jealous of 

 that. Perhaps more touchy on our reputation than we are on any other 

 subject, claiming, as we do, to represent fairly to the purchaser and fairly 

 to the consignor. It certainly behooves the association in Lawton to 

 refuse to take the goods of a grower who does not pack on honest business 

 principles. We know that the producer can not pack any better fruit 

 than his vineyard or orchard may yield, but he can fill his packages up to 

 the regulation limit, even though they are in a close basket with a close 

 cover and no one can tell that they are not full until tested by weight or 

 the cover removed for the inspection of contents. 



The package now used by the growers has come to be a standard in the 

 market, namely: the eight-pound Climax basket. We have nothing new 

 to suggest along this line. Indeed, it is always to the disadvantage of the 

 growers of a locality to change their package when they have made a 

 reputation on their fruit. 



We believe that the "snide" packer as well as the "snide" dealer or 

 commission merchant, has but a short business life to live; but during 

 his unprofitable career he works a hardship upon the honest competitor, 

 and as it is now the order of society to organize into associations that will 

 prevent, so far as may be, the unworthy from interfering with fair dealing, 

 we would recommend that your association authorize the inspection of all 

 fruit shipped under the name and protection of an association. If the 

 association does not protect its majority against a minority it can not be 

 profitable to its members or society at large. 



