46 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



oiiornions, so viial; eiii]iloyino- oiio-tliird and feedinj]^ nine-tentliw of 

 llio jjopnlatioii, croatinji most of the real wealth and a large share of 

 I lie clean, virile, mental force of the Nation, it is not uncommon that 

 it sliould require enforced laws for its protection and improvement. 

 Vet in the 8,500 i)ages of the comj)iled laws of Michigan up to 1897 

 and the eight volumes of session laws since, very few take even a 

 slanting- helpfulness towards the maintenance and upbuilding of Agri- 

 culture. 



Many laws j>ertaining to fruit-growing presumably still in force seem 

 to have been overlooked or forgotten, for j)art of them it is just as 

 well as they are out of step with present methods. 



As far back as 1869 an enactment prescribed that an apple barrel 

 should have a 27-inch stave and a KP/o-inch head. In '*71" a peach 

 basket was to contain one-third of a bushel, in ''77" another enactment 

 recited that no matter what the container if it presumed to hold a 

 bushel it must contain 82 quarts. In the same year a bushel of apples 

 was ])ut at 48 pounds. 



In '95 we i*eceived the law compelling package manufacturers to 

 label all containers designed for the shi]>ment of grapes, peaches or 

 plums, to be markekd on the outside other than the bottom, tbe capacity 

 in pounds. 



This is a fair sample of a law drawn by someone incompetent to 

 do it. 



Our basket commonly called a fifth tilled with grapes w^eighs 8 pounds, 

 tilled with jjcaches weighs 9 pounds, filled with plums holds 11 pounds. 

 ^\'hi<•h stamp shall the manufacturer use? No law can require impossi- 

 bilities. 



Our fertilizer inspection laws designed to protect the user of com- 

 mercial fertilizers that cost above ten dollars a ton, is a very wise and 

 helpful measure. The container must be stami)ed with the number of 

 jtounds, the guaranteed analysis, and the manufacturer's name. 



The manufacturer pays to the State f20 yearly for every brand offered 

 for sale. This law is and should be well enforced, it carries \vith 

 il sufficient revenue to pay for its enforcement. 



A law analogous to the preceding one, passed last winter, provides for 

 a guaranteed analysis of spraying material of all kinds and a heavy 

 tine for adulteration. If you are in doubt as to the quality of your lime 

 and sul])hur or lead arsenate, send a sample to Prof. A. J. Patten, East 

 Lansing for analysis. In this way 30U will make the law active. 



An act commonly known as the "yellows law" for stamping out yel- 

 lows, black knot, rosette and pear blight with its running mate, an act 

 to prevent tlie spread of vine and fruit-tree pests, such as San Jose 

 scale and canker womi, are both drawn by men wliO' knew the necessity 

 and methods for relief. They are directly in the interest of the fruit 

 grower. The method of enforcing is simple. Each township board 

 apjioints three freeholders who shall act as yellows commissioners, they 

 have full power to cope with and partially conquer the beforemen- 

 tioned diseases and pests. 



In the yellows law the township board must act if yellows is known 

 to exist in the township; in the pest law, a petition by ten freeholders 

 will start the toAvnship board to action. These two measures and the 

 one providing- for inspection of nursery stock are able to take care of 

 this phase of the fruit growers' troubles. 



