Handling, Distributing, and Sale of Fruit 221 



modification of this plan, and one that is much less effi- 

 cient, is to have the fruit graded and packed by the grower 

 under the rules of the association, but with all of the 

 operations under the direction of association inspectors, 

 who visit each farm once or twice daily. Under either 

 system the packages need to be inspected before they are 

 accepted by the association, the inspection taking place 

 at the shipping station, warehouse, or other centralizing 

 point. Every package rejected should be regraded and 

 repacked at the expense of the grower, or the fruit should 

 be placed in a lower grade. This system is in operation 

 in several of the most successful apple-growers' associa- 

 tions in the United States. 



The Hood River Apple-Growers' Union 



A pioneer in the handling of apples on the association 

 plan is the Hood River Apple-Growers' Union of Hood 

 River, Oregon. This association has made Hood River 

 famous the world over for the excellence of the grading and 

 packing of the apples grown in the Hood River Valley. In 

 order to show the details of its methods, the leading fea- 

 tures of the constitution and by-laws, the grading rules, 

 and the regulations for 1911 are set forth. In this associa- 

 tion the fruit is picked by the grower, packed on his place 

 by labor under the control of the union, and inspected at 

 the union warehouse before it is accepted for sale. 



