92 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



MICHIGAN'S NEED OF AN APPLE PACKING LAW. 



BY GEO. W. COCHRAN^ ELK LAKD^ PA. 



(Second Prize.) 



Mr. Cliairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: 



I am glad for the privilege to stand before this splendid audience and 

 discuss the need, if you please, of an apple law similar to that of the 

 New York apple law, for the great commonwealth of Michigan. 



The New York apple packing law is no doubt one of the best and 

 perhaps the only real good apple packing law in force today. Of course 

 the Sulzer law is good, but it fails, for it is optional. It provides for 

 one grade of apples, and that grade divided into three classes. The New 

 York law provides four grades, and leaves ample room for every man 

 to pack pretty nearly as he pleases but, and here is a point to remember, 

 he must brand the barrel according to the contents. Besides the New 

 York law compels every man who packs apples for market to either 

 comply with the Sulzer law or else the New York law. It has been said, 

 not one man in one hundred had packed under the Sulzer law last year. 



The New York law has already been felt not only in New York but 

 in other states, even in the far west where the apple is grown to perfec- 

 tion found its market in the eastern cities. I have seen the western 

 grown apple on the Chicago market, the Pittsburg market, and the Phila- 

 delphia market and in each case commanding a fancy price while the 

 more eastern grown apple found no ready market nor fancy price. T 

 asked a dealer in Pittsburg how many bad apples he found in a box. 

 He answered, "With that sign of guarantee," pointing to the end of the 

 box, "there can be no poor fruit in the box." How does this happen? 

 It does not happen. It is the result of a law, if you please, an edict 

 issued by the fruit growers' exchange. Their word has done more for 

 the fruit interests of the Northwest than the Sulzer law can do for 

 the apple grower in general. A southern paper remarked, that the New 

 York apple packing law has caused New York apples to be placed in 

 open competition with Virginia apples, and added, ''With a law like 

 the New York law, Virginia would have no rival in the apple market. 

 The National Stockman and Farmer gave a similar statement, and 

 added "That as a result of the law. New York would ship 7.5,000 barrels 

 this year in western cities." 



It will require many years for Michigan to establish a reputation like 

 certain individual fruit growers in Michigan have established, for ship- 

 ping only first class fruit. There is always the man who is willing to 

 profit by tlie other man's efforts, and will put poor fruit on the market. T 

 do not blame the grower. Mr. Bush of New York says 75% of the crooked 

 packing and branding is done by the man who buys the crop of fruit. 



Did vou ever consider what it cost Michigan for the packing of poor 

 fruit? ^I do not know, but it estimated that it cost New York |3,000,000 

 annually. Do you suppose it will cost Michigan a similar amount? You 

 are better acquainted with the Michigan buyers than I am. They may 



