STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIliTY. 63 



under section 12 of the act ; there are also as many temporary 

 inspectors appointed during the busy season. We examine only 

 a very small percentage of the entire output of Canada but all 

 packages are liable to inspection. We are fortunate in having 

 the greater portion of the apple crop leave Canada at the port 

 of Montreal, so that the examination at that port practically 

 catches all the export trade till the end of November. The 

 results have proved very satisfactory. The number of prosecu- 

 tions last year was forty-three. It is not at all likely there will 

 be as many prosecutions this year, though there will always be a 

 necessity for inspectors and prosecutions. The packing and 

 grading of fruit in Canada have been greatly improved as a 

 result of the enforcement of the F'ruit Marks act." 



I will read a few portions of the Fruit Marks act. 



" Every person who, by himself or through the agency of 

 another person, packs fruit in a closed package, intended for 

 sale, shall cause the package to be marked in a plain and indel- 

 ible manner, before it is taken from the premises where it is 

 packed " and then it provides for the marks. 



" No person shall sell, or offer, expose or have in his posses- 

 sion for sale any fruit packed in any package in which the faced 

 or shown surface gives a false representation of the contents of 

 such package; and it shall be considered a false representation 

 when more than fifteen per cent of such fruit is substantially 

 smaller in size than, or inferior in grade to, or different in variety 

 from, the faced or shown surface of such package." Then it 

 goes on to provide for the penalty. 



Under that law during the past five years, you have heard 

 from those who have preceded me the results, the improvement — 

 and naturally the improvement in price in the market this year. 



" While in England last winter," writes Mr. M. E. Kyle of 

 Oakville, Ontario, " I found the Fruit Marks act had done a 

 great deal to improve the standing of Canadian fruit on British 

 markets, although even yet some of the fruit shipped from 

 Canada is not what it should be. Unless shipments of inferior 

 fruit can be stopped, our trade will continue to receive more or 

 less injury." 



So you see our fruit growers across the line are working pretty 

 sharply along this line. Now to some such legislation I believe 

 we must come in the State of Maine. And yet I realize the fact 

 that this legislation cannot be local. It must be National. We 



