Vermont State Horticultural Society 51 



plies of the receivers of jobbers in from one to five barrel lots. 

 They prefer the barrel and as a rule reject the box. The empty 

 barrel has a market value while the box is unsalable. 



The use of the box and the barrel as a package in which to 

 ship apples to market belongs to two distinct classes of apple 

 growers. For the specialist who spares neither labor or ex- 

 pense that he may produce the best fruit possible, and who puts 

 it on the market in a neat and attractive package, the box may in 

 time prove the most profitable and satisfactory package. For 

 the average grower of apples in New England however, the 

 barrel will continue to be the package for some time to come. 



The greater part of our New England apple orchards are in 

 sod which if the soil is rich enought to grow grass that will pay 

 the cost of cutting is taken off as hay and carried to the barn. 

 The orchard is seldom fertilized, plowed or pruned, and never 

 sprayed. As a result of this management a large part of the 

 fruit produced is of inferior quality ; not over one-fourth or one- 

 sixth of it can be classed as strictly No. i. If this small quantity 

 of good fruit is taken and boxed that which is left will present 

 a very poor appearance and go on the market as second grade 

 at a low price and the price received for the whole crop will 

 be less than if all of it had been barreled. 



The scarcity and high price of barrels has had much to do 

 with bringing the box to the front as a package in which to 

 market apples, in hopes of reducing the cost. 



The cost of packing a given quantity of apples in boxes is 

 equal to if not greater than when packed in barrels and re- 

 quires greater skill in packing. 



Growers must not be misled into believing that the package 

 sells the fruit, although it may help. The price received will de- 

 pend on the quality of the fruit and the smaller the package the 

 Ijetter the fruit must be. Medium or second quality fruit shows 

 its defects more distinctly as the size of the package is reduced. 



To educate the majority of our apple growers so they will 

 grow choice fruit and pack it properly is to me a very unprom- 

 ising task for the reason that apples are a side issue in their 

 farming operations and considered the least profitable. The 

 trees to them, add no value to the land, and in many cases the 

 farms would sell for more money if every apple tree was re- 

 moved. 



If the fruit grown and packed by the average grower is to 

 be placed in the hands of the retailer in a smaller and lighter 

 package than the barrel, that package in my opinion will be sup- 

 plied by the retailer who fills them from the barrel and then 

 places them on his stand in a way to attract customers. A much 

 lighter package can be used in this way than when the fruit is 



