No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 565 



the law are subject to sharp fines and imprisonment and inspectors 

 have close oversight in the enforcement of the law. 



Commercial orchardists in Western New York, competing with 

 Ontario growers in the export markets, are watching with the 

 keenest interest the working out of this Canadian Fruit Marks 

 Act. At last winter's meeting of the Massachusetts Fruit Growers 

 Association a strong appeal was made by a representative of the 

 Maine Pomological Society, asking that apple interests in the two 

 states seek to promote state legislation closely akin to the Canadian 

 law, but it is worth passing note that at the Maine meeting the 

 past fall the thought was there expressed that it is a little early 

 to force such legislation, even though it may be ultimately a wise 

 move. 



As to the standard apple package, I have been told both at home, 

 and when personally visiting the London and Liverpool markets, 

 that dealers, except in a restricted way, do not want anything but 

 the barrel in handling this fruit. Foreign buyers of American and 

 Canadian apples as well as those in the domestic trade are all a 

 unit in expressing the hope that growers will each season improve 

 in the matter of picking and packing. As a rule, they want a barrel 

 of regulation size, the flour barrel or its equivalent. This, of course, 

 holds rather less than the three bushel barrel advocated in a few 

 sections. One of the best posted men identified with the Inter- 

 national Apple Shippers Association made this statement to me, 

 that apples packed in a good flour barrel will bring as much money 

 in any market in the world as if in an absolutely new barrel. But 

 in these days of advancing prices, it is sometimes a toss-up in the 

 matter of cost between a good second-hand barrel and one just made 

 from new stock. 



Some of the most notable successes are in the co-operative market- 

 ing of small fruits and vegetables; and the organization, local in 

 character and capable of adaptation in some form by Pennsylvania 

 growers, forms an object lesson worth our attention. For example, 

 a successful association of this character has long done business, 

 with Cobden, 111., its center of operations in fruits and truck. This 

 is a regularly incorporated shipping association; the manager makes 

 it his business to make contracts with the transportation companies, 

 and to secure the number and kind of cars required by shippers 

 and at the time required. In cold weather, for shipping sweet pota- 

 toes, the cars required in the daily supply are placed on side tracks 

 ready to receive the barrels. In summer, when iced cars are needed 

 for shipping such perishable stuff as strawberries, the manager pro- 

 cures the cars, and has them properly supplied with ice ready for 

 immediate use. He collects information daily about the markets 

 and prices, receives fruit at the cars, receipting to the owner for 

 the same, sees to it that the fruit is placed properly in the car, 

 makes a manifest for each owner, and bills the car to the proper 

 person at its destination. In this way the best rates and services 

 are secured. The cars are shipped from one person in the producing 

 section to one person in the distributing market, and takes away 

 entirely from the railroad the important work of loading and un- 

 loading. During the fruit season, 15 to 20 cars are shipped daily 

 from Cobden, representing, of course, many thous^inds of packages 



