THE APPLE- PACKING TRAIN 681 



packages" to mean "all double-headed or burlap-covered barrels, 

 boxes, baskets, or other packages, the contents <>!' \vliich could 

 not be seen when closed/' and lie illustrated from the case of 

 models and by charts what would be considered as "good color" 

 for the various varieties. Other forms of the law, such as "well 

 grown specimens," "properly packed," "normal shape," and 

 " practically free " from insect and fungus injury, were also 

 illustrated by models or actual specimens of fruit. 



Following a question box on the matters emphasized by Profes- 

 sor Knapp and ^Ir. Van Buren, another phase of the apple packing 

 question was discussed; namely, the possibility of central pack- 

 ing houses in securing better packing, a more uniform pack, and 

 facilitating marketing."' The writer, of the New York Central 

 railroad, who had spent some time in gathering information as to 

 the methods of operation of central packing houses in the eastern 

 part of the I nited States and in Canada, where a compulsory 

 apple packing law exists, presented this matter and illustrated his 

 remarks by a series of lantern slides. 



f Prof. Knapp followed with a series of lantern slides show- 

 ing monthly receipts of apples on the New York markets, cover- 

 ing a period of twenty years, and the average prices of different 

 varieties by months over the same period, and drew some interest- 

 ing conclusions as to the most profitable varieties for storage and 

 the most desirable time for selling these varieties. He also com- 

 pared the export of apples of Canada and the United States and 

 pointed out the distribution of export apples to the various foreign 

 countries, together with the varieties preferred in these countries. 



One of the most interesting slides showed the result of in- 

 quiries sent out to produce men in all sections of the United States, 

 requesting information as to sources of supply, or the states from 

 which they drew their apples. The replies showed that the 

 number of dealers preferring New York apples was more than 

 double the number of those that expressed a preference for apples 

 from other districts. Professor Knapp argued from these figures 

 that, with the proper packing and grading of New York apples, 

 growers would have little to fear from competition in other dis- 

 tricts more remote from the great markets of the East. 



* See article on central packing houses, page 895. 

 t See article by Prof. Knapp, page 927. 



