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some necessary piece of information about the contents of 

 the barrel — there are no superfluous marks. 



The first of these required marks is the name of the 

 State — ^Massachusetts — it is certainly important that Mass- 

 achusetts fruit growers should advertise the name of the 

 state where the product is produced. 



Then comes the uame of the grade — of course, the most 

 cfpential of all the marks — the one the buyer will look at 

 first, as he wishes to know what kind of apples he is buying. 



Then comes the minimum size — the size of the smallest 

 apple in the barrel — size is an important point for the buyer 

 and he wants to know what he is getting in this resi)ect. 

 Notice that this statement of minimum size is not the size of 

 the average apple — it is the size of the smallest apple. 

 There is no requirement as to uniformity of size except in 

 the Fancy grade, but a wise grower will of course, put apples 

 of approximately the same size in the same package. 



Next comes the statement of quantity — the words 1 

 standard barrel — this is required not only by the ]Massa- 

 chusetts law but by the Federal net Aveight amendment. 



Last, but not least, comes the name and address of the 

 packer — certainly a man should be willing to stand back of 

 his packing — and if he is desirous of building up a reputa- 

 tion as a good packer, should be anxious to stand back of it. 



There is the law — three grades for apples — simple- 

 easy to understand — every barrel to be marked with certain 

 necessary marks, and these marks to be put on in a certain 

 uniform order. This question of uniform is important be- 

 cause it makes for uniformity. In time everyone in the 

 business will know just where on the barrel head to look for 

 each particular mark. 



I want to say a word in reference to the enforcement of 

 the law. You know that it is a legal maxim that everyone 

 is presumed to know, the law. .That, of course is the only 

 I>ossible rule — a person should not be allowed to get off by 

 pleading ignorance of the law. But this year we have had 

 to frankly abandon that maxim in regard to the apple grad- 



