THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 331 



is sometimes so great thai the purchaser of the package in the Bast lias complained 

 jnsily that the fniii was "topped off." -Insi a word in support of this complaint 

 Picture five plums of equal size packed across the bottom of each basket. Each 

 plum so packed will measure 1-3 I 11 inches in diameter. Picture five plums packed 

 across the top of each basket and each plum will measure 1 -6 1" inches in diameter, 

 the difference being '■'• lt» of an inch in diameter, which, in itself, does not appear to 

 be a very great difference. Assuming that the fruit is spherical in shape, then each 

 specimen in the bottom will contain 1.15 plus cubic inches, and each specimen on 

 the top will contain 2.14 plus cubic inches. The bottom fruit therefore contains 

 but 53.6 per cent of the cubical contents of the fruit that is in the top of the basket. 



Because of the fad that the Eastern market complained of the fruit being 

 "topped off" together with the fact that their fruit was continually arriving on a 

 declining market, the growers of El Dorado County were compelled early in 1910 to 

 band themselves together in what was then and is now known as the El Dorado 

 County Standardized Fruit Alliance. They formulated laws and by-laws for govern- 

 ing their organization, and adopted rules Eor packing, which are still in existence — 

 improving in some instances, bul never receding from their first aim — that of 

 improving their methods of producing and packing the best fruit shipped from 

 California. The county thai gave California its birth was the first county of the 

 state to formulate the highest standard rub's for packing now in vogue. 



It i^ necessary for plums and prunes, according to the grading rules, to be free 

 from all disease or defect ; to be packed in regular Eastern four-basket single crates, 

 three tiers to the basket : of a sizi not smaller than would make a 5x5 if packed 

 in the top layer and of approximately uniform size in each layer. Exceptions: 

 Tragedies, Germans and Splendors may be solid packed and faced, or four tier. 



Two-tier plums and prunes not smaller than would make 4x4 may be packed in 

 4§-inch crates or wrapped and packed in 4 1-inch peach boxes with an 11/16-inch cleat 

 under the lid. Tragedies may be packed 5x5 bottom and center and 5x0 top. 



Four-tier pack of blue plums and prunes except Giants, Gross, Grand Duke and 

 I liamond is allowable. There may be other varieties added to these different 

 exceptions that will come up from time to time for consideration. 



This method compels the grower to put up his fruit in a manner that is free 

 from deception. The fact that the basket is smaller at the bottom than at the top 

 is regarded as no excuse for the use of fruit on the bottom that is materially smaller 

 than that on the top. On the other hand, it compels him to grade his fruit and make 

 different packages for the different sizes and pack the same as other fruits. Plums 

 that will make a good 5x5 pack on top will make a good 4x4 pack on the bottom, 

 and a 4x5 or 5x5 pack in the center and top, which, when the package is opened and 

 the contents turned out, will show fruit that is approximately the same size throughout 

 the package. 



A two-tier package of plums is used for the large elongated varieties. A special 

 provision is made for all of the medium and small varieties permitting them to be 

 packed four tier in a regular Eastern four-basket crate which must be so marked. 

 This four-tier pack has been the safety valve of our pack of plums in this county; 

 and has, I believe, been the real reason why our fruit has brought magnificent prices 

 on the auction. We could do much better had we the legislation to govern it. It 

 gets rid of the temptation to cover up the small fruit in the bottom of the package. 

 It allows many a crate of plums to be shipped when the market is high without 

 ruining the reputation of a high standard when the market is only average or low. 

 It has placed El Dorado County al the head of the list in point of standardizing 

 and has brought dollars into the pockets of our growers instead of loss. This 

 determination of growers to ship four-tier plums and prunes properly marked is in 

 the writer's opinion, the key to the upholding of a fixed standard for packing plums 

 and prunes. I believe that the four-tier pack of plums and prunes is to the plum 

 package what the Jumbo crate for cantaloupes is to the cantaloupe business. I 

 believe that the basket in common use having sloping sides does n ot necessarily 

 mean that small fruit should be packed in the bottom and larger fruit on top in 

 plums any more than is the case with peaches, apples, oranges or cantaloupes, or any 

 other fruit in straight sided packages. 



