i 111 \iu\ I ill .1 m i i i' i l\. 137 



kinds of fruit specified in this standard act. Orchards are often widely 

 scattered, frequently miles from the shipping station; roads are rough, 

 and fruit must be packed in the orchard to protect it in the hauling, in 

 a great many cases. It is next to impossible to avail ourselves of a fac- 

 tory pack, such as large central packing houses would afford. The crop 

 is highly perishable, and must be handled quickly or lost. Labor is the 

 grower's biggest item of expense. Expert packers are sometimes 

 impossible to get. The grower's family, neighbors and friends are 

 often utilized to save a crop ripened by a sudden change of weather. 

 Under these circumstances, and others, it would spell disaster for the 

 state to enact arbitrary and critical standards for packing, or im- 

 maturity. The broad principle of uniformity of size, quality and 

 maturity is as far as regulation should go with many kinds of fruit 

 specified in this law. 



Maturity standards have been, and always will be. difficult to estab- 

 lish. From first to last of the season there is a very long list of varieties 

 of each of the kinds of fruit regulated. Color varies at like maturity 

 in almost every variety of plum and peach particularly. California is a 

 state of many climates and varied soils, and unequal moisture conditions. 

 Intimate knowledge of the characteristics of each variety, and of its 

 peculiarities, under conditions in which produced, are required to deter- 

 mine its real state. Blackberries are red when they are green ; some 

 plums are green when they are ripe, while others are still green when 

 red. (So much for the English language.) To fix maturity standards 

 by color is impossible. It was not deemed advisable to attempt it in the 

 deliberations preceding preparation of the present law. (This again 

 refers to the tree fruits and not to grapes, which are entirely different.) 

 Maturity, however, should, in all instances, be within reason. The prac- 

 tical application of any law can be to the extent of reason only. If 

 impossible standards be set, confusion will result. Better and more 

 practical to have no standard law at all than to make standards incon- 

 sistent with the profitable and natural pursuit of the industry. 



From years of experience in both actual growing of fruit, and in the 

 shipping and marketing of same, and a knowledge of the limitations 

 surrounding the deciduous grower, and of the varied conditions in this 

 state, my chief concern today is the fear of overregulation. I believe 

 the extent of the benefits that will be derived from the present law, if 

 enforced, are very far from being understood as yet, and that any radi- 

 cal changes, thus early in the experiment, would turn the present favor- 

 able sentiment among the growers to antagonism, and defeat the end 

 desired, which I believe to be an honest and dependable pack from all 

 sections in California, uniform in size, quality and maturity throughout 

 the box, package or container, correctly marked as to contents, all for 

 the protection of the buyer and consumer, and for the establishment •£ 

 confidence in California fruit. 



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