I'l 



there. It is an unimportant apple-producing section, and 

 they get a large proportion of apples from Maine, New 

 Hampshire and New York. A number of the dealers down 

 there have been complaining of the quality of the apples 

 that they have been getting ; and we have tried to emphasize 

 this point to them: That if they will buy Massachusetts 

 apples they will be protected, because being in the same 

 state, they can, if they feel they are aggreived have re- 

 course to the state inspection service. I feel that you fruit 

 growers ought to develop that territory down in Southeast- 

 ern Massachusetts. I think it needs some good apples and 

 a little selling brains to develop that market. I hope to see 

 more Masachusetts apples sold there next year. 



Now, there are three or four minor amendments being 

 made in the law this year. None of those amendments have 

 anything to do with the grades. They are merely small 

 administrative changes in the law. The only change of any 

 importance is one of increasing the fine, which is now $100, 

 for a second offense — we haven 't yet had a second offense — 

 to $200, for the reason that we feel that a fine of $100 is 

 rather small to deter a big buyer, and a good deal of trouble 

 in enforcing this law comes from the big dealers in shipping^ 

 out apples not packed up to the standard. On a ear of apples 

 containing 200 barrels, a maximum fine of $100 is only 

 about 50 cents a barrel. Of course, we can only take one 

 barrel as a sample. We cannot bring a whole car into court 

 and we feel that the fine is rather small, that a really more 

 substantial fine should be put there, and the Legislature 

 now has that subject under consideration. 



Now, there has been three or four suggestions as to 

 changes in the law. Some of them are from members of 

 this Association. T cannot find, as yet, any overwhelming 

 demand for any particular change in the law. However, I 

 do not know of any better time than now, right here, for 

 the members of the Fruit Growers' Association to state 

 what they think of some of these changes, and there are just 

 three of them that there seems to be considerable demand 



