332 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



APPLE STANDARDIZATION. 



By A. W. Tate, Chief Apple Inspector, Watsonville. 



Owing to the many changes made in the horticultural laws of the state by the 

 legislature which has just adjourned, it is possible that many of the county horticul- 

 tural commissioners have not, as yet, realized the additional duties and powers 

 conferred upon them by the Standard Apple Act of 1!H7. While the brunt of the 

 enforcement of the law will fall upon the slate inspectors appointed by the State 

 Commissioner of Horticulture, no small share of responsibility rests upon the county 

 commissioners. 



The law is. in a way, an experiment, but in order In give it a fair test, and to 

 find out whether or nol the sponsors of the idea of apple standardization have made 

 a mistake, it is absolutely necessary that a proper degree of cooperation, of all 

 concerned in its enforcement, be obtained. It is possible that the majority of the 

 county commissioners are not at all familiar with its provisions, and it is because 

 of this fact that this paper has been prepared. Tt is hoped then, that the writer 



will be pardi d if he s s i" enter into detail regarding certain portions of the 



law. witli which, it mighl 1 xpeeted, the county commissioners were entirely 



conversant. 



Section 13 of the act reads as follows: 



"Any apples packed, shipped, delivered for shipment, offered for sale or sold, in 

 violation of any of the provisions of this act. and the containers in which they may 

 be, shall lie deemed to be a public nuisance, and may he seized by said commissioner 

 of horticulture, or his deputy, or by any inspector appointed under the provisions 

 of this act, and by any county horticultural commissioner or his deputy, and by 

 order of the superior court of the county or city and county within which the same 

 may be found, shall lie condemned and destroyed or released upon such conditions 

 as the court in its discretion may impose to insure that they shall not be packed, 

 shipped, delivered for shipment, offered for sale or sold in violation of any of the 

 provisions of this act." 



It will be noted that any apples packed in violation of this act are a public 

 nuisance and may be seized, not only by the state officials, but also by the county 

 commissioners or their deputies. 



As state inspectors will be in charge of the larger shipping districts at least, the 

 county commissioners will be called upon chiefly to see that the fruit arrives in the 

 proper condition in the markets. In other words, the commissioners of the counties 

 in which the apples are sold, will be expected to see that there is no violation of 

 the law. They are therefore supposed to know what constitutes the different grades 

 and the proper markings upon each box. 



There are three grades established for any apples, ] acked, shipped, or sold within 

 the state in closed packages. They are the "Fancy." "P>" and "C" grades. While 

 the grades formulated apply only to apples in closed packages, section 5, to winch 

 I shall call attention later, covers all fruit, whether closed or otherwise. 



"Fancy" apples shall be hand-picked, well-matured specimens of one variety, well 

 colored, with stems retained therein, except in tic case of Gravensteins, for which 

 varietj an exception is made, uniform in size, and by uniformity it is stipulated 

 that the Iargesl apple in the box shall not he three-eighths of an inch in diameter, 

 measured by the smallest diameter thereof, larger than the smallest apple in the 

 box. They shall be well packed, by which I take it to mean that when the cover 

 is placed upon the box there shall be no excess space or room for one apple to move 

 upon another, and shall !«■ free from all b I pests and defects or diseases. A 

 variation in this respect is allowed not to exceed 3 per cent of any one defect or 

 10 per cent total defects. 



The "B" grade is the second grade of apples. In ibis grade are allowed insect 

 bitten apples, where the wound so caused lias healed iii the process of maturity; 

 sunscalds and frost bites, which do not extend beneath the surface of the skin, and 

 bruises where the skin is not broken; also strmless apples. "IV grade apples should 

 be suitable for storage, so qo defect which might interfere with the keeping qualities 

 should be included in this grade. 



A "C" grade is provided for. but as it is not thought that any one will find it 

 to his financial advantage to pack this made, I shall not enter into detail, suffice 

 ii is p. saj that practically anything maj be packed in a box of "<"' grade without 

 regard to size requirements, provided it is free from insect pests and diseases. 



