28 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



GRADING AND INSPECTION OF APPLES, ETC. 



T the recent meeting of the Ontario 

 Fruit Growers' Association held at 

 Whitby, great indignation was stir- 

 red up among the fruit growers at 

 reports of fraudulent fruit-pack- 

 ing on the part of speculators who buy 

 whole orchards and try by facing or by 

 false grade marks or by using fictitious 

 names, to secure for the poor fruit the prices 

 of good fruit. An example of bad -packing 

 was placed on the table by Mr. T. H. P. 

 Carpenter, of Winona, being samples of 

 fruit from a barrel purchased by him, which 

 was topped with large apples and filled in 

 with ciders. 



After considerable discussion, a general 

 resolution was passed looking for inspection 

 in order to prevent this crying evil for 

 which the fruit growers are not responsi- 

 ble, but speculators who buy immense quan- 

 tities and send out gangs of packers who 

 are paid for their work at a contract price 

 by the barrel. 



A strong committee was appointed to deal 

 with the whole question, and prepare de- 

 tails for a grading and inspection act for the 

 consideration of the Dominion Minister of 

 Agriculture. The following members of 

 this committee met at the Lincoln House, 

 Grimsby, on Friday, December 15th, 1899, 

 viz., A. H. Fettit, E. D. Smith, Geo. E. 

 Fisher, T. H. P. Carpenter, and the execu- 

 tive committee, viz., W. M. Orr, G. C. Cas- 

 ton and L. Woolve^ton. After careful con- 

 sideration and much discussion, the follow- 

 ing resolution was arrived at, which we be- 

 lieve will commend itself to our fruit grow- 

 ers generally : 



Resolved^ That both the Dominion and 

 the Provincial Legislatures be asked to con- 

 sider the advisability of legislation to carry 

 out the following regulations for the sale of 

 apples and pears, — 



1. That all apples and pears packed for 

 sale in closed packages shall have the mini- 

 mum diameter of the fruit inside marked in 

 plain figures on the top or face of the pack- 

 age, thus — 2 inches, 21^ inches, 21^ inches, 

 etc., as the case may be, and if more than 

 ten per cent, run below the size specified, 

 the package shall be considered fraudulently 

 packed. 



2. That all such packages shall also be 

 stamped with certain grade marks which 

 shall be defined as follows : 



(a) X A No. I. Sound apples or pears 

 of uniformly large size and high color for 

 the variety named, of normal form, at least 

 90 per cent, free from worm holes, scabs or 

 other defects. 



(^) A No. 1. Sound apples or pears of 

 nearly uniform size and good color for the 

 variety named, of normal form, at least 

 90 per cent, free from worm holes, scabs or 

 other defects. 



(c) No. I. Sound apples or pears of 

 fairly uniform size, at least 80 per cent, free 

 from worm holes, scabs or other defects. 



(«?) No. 2. Apples or pears that are dis- 

 qualified from being classed under any of 

 the afore mentioned grades, but which are 

 useful for culinary purposes, and not less 

 than two inches in diameter. 



3. That all apples or pears packed in 

 closed packages be subject to inspection by 

 the Government Inspector, and, in case of 

 ten per cent, of the packages of any one 

 grade being found fraudulently packed, the 

 shipper be liable to a fine not exceeding 50 

 cents a barrel for all packages of that grade. 



4. That provision be made for inspection 

 not only at the ocean ports, but also at the 

 request of the shippers, at local points of 

 shipment in case of car lots. 



5. That for local inspection a reasonable 

 scale of charges be made of the shipper re- 



