THE MONTHLY BULLETIN 



CALIFORNIA STATE COMMISSION OF HORTICULTURE. 



DEVOTED TO HORTICULTURE IN ITS BROADEST SENSE. WITH SPECIAL 



REFERENCE TO PLANT DISEASES, INSECT PESTS. AND 



THEIR CONTROL. 



Sent free to all citizens of the State of California. Offered in exchange for bulletins 

 of the Federal Government and experiment stations, entomological and mycological 

 journals, agricultural and horticultural papers, botanical and other publications of a 

 similar nature. 



G. H. IIecke, State Commissioner of Horticulture Censor 



Geo. P. Weldon, Chief Deputy Commissioner Editor 



Associate Editors. 



H. S. Maddox Secretary State Commission of Horticulture 



Harrt S. Smith Superintendent State Insectary 



Frederick Maskew Chief Deputy Quarantine Officer 



O. W. Newman Assistant Secretary State Commission of Horticulture 



Entered as second class matter December 29, 1911, at the post office at Sacramento, 

 California, under the act of June 6, 1900. 



Apple Standardization. 



The standardization of the apple pack for the California trade, under the 

 provisions of the act of 1017, will mean much to the industry which has always 

 suffered because of the fad thai a certain class of growers have insisted in packing 

 low-grade, almosl worthless trash, and certain dealers haven't hesitated about 

 handling it. The effect upon the market for good fruit has been little short of 

 disastrous. The apple is grown in practically everj state of the Onion, and with 

 no other fruit is there Ihe same chance for overproduction. During seasons of good 

 crops throughout the country the supply is such that only the high-grade fruit will 

 pay for marketing, and even during seasons of far below average crops there is little 

 demand for the lower grades. There is need for more standardized prices in the 

 apple business and the standardization movement should do much toward bringing 

 to the grower uniformly good prices yen- after year. 



The work of inspection and the general enforcement of the act is placed in the 

 hands of the State Commissioner of Horticulture. This added duty to our already 

 full schedule of work has taxed us to the limit, but no effort will be spared to make 

 apple standardization of real value to the industry. 



Chief Deputy George F. Weldon has been placed in charge of the work throughout 

 the state and is responsible for the winking out of details in connection with the 

 enforcement of the act. His experience in the apple sections of the state, and his 

 personal acquaintance with the apple growers makes him the logical man in the 

 commission to handle the job. 



It is believed that the state seal which will be provided by this office under the terms 

 of the act, and for which the growers pay the sum of a half cent each, will be an 

 important part of the standardized pack, it will virtually say that the box on which 

 it occurs contains fruit that is true to the grade designated on the same, and the 

 state of California approves of it. The inspection, therefore, must be carefully 

 conducted; the packer and the inspector should cooperate to the fullest extent, and 

 any attempt al packing a lower grade than the "C" grade provided for in the act 

 must be promptly stopped. 



The inspection of apples in the Luge markets will be of very great importance. 

 With the aid of the county horticultural commissioners, and with the cooperation 

 of the better class of commission men little trouble is anticipated, and it is our 

 purpose to standardize the California apple pack in the way that was intended by 

 the framers of the act. G. H. II. 



