THE APPLE GRADING LAW 



B. D. VAX BI-RKX 



Assistant Chief, Bureau of Plant Industry, New York State Department of 

 Agriculture, Albany. N. Y. 



This law is the outgrowth of several 

 years of legislation, starting with the op- 

 tional grading law, which made practically 

 no improvement in the grade of apples 

 packed by Xew York State growers or 

 dealers during its operation. In 1914 this 

 law was amended and made compulsory, 

 its provisions applying to all apples grown 

 in Xew York State and packed in closed 

 packages for sale, with the one exception 

 that apples packed and branded in accord- 

 ance with the federal law were exempt from the provisions of this 

 law. 



The law as passed in 1914 was favored and supported by the 

 various fruit growers 7 associations of the state and also by the 

 National Apple Shippers' Association, which Las a large mem- 

 bership in this state. A clause in the law put its enforcement 

 into the hands of the Commissioner of Agriculture, but did not 

 make it a part of the New York State Agricultural Law. On 

 account of this fact, and because of certain conflicting clauses in 

 the law passed in 1914 and the provision therein that only those 

 who knowingly violated it were subject to prosecution, its en- 

 forcement was found to be practically impossible, and the legis- 

 lature of 1915 passed a new apple grading law and repealed the 

 law passed in 1914. This new law was made part of the agri- 

 cultural law of New York State, and, therefore, its enforcement 

 became one of the duties of the Commissioner of Agriculture. 



Under the agricultural law the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 or his agents have the right to enter warehouses, stores, etc., and 

 open and inspect packages, all of which is a great aid in enforcing 

 a law of this character. In this new law, passed in 1915, the 

 conflicting clauses were largely eliminated, as was that part of 



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