/'2 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Under this system of cooperation, the box package would 

 certainly be necessary. Let us be up with the times and make 

 some advancement for the interest of the fruit growers of Maine. 

 I have here some communications from growers and com- 

 mission men: Mr. J. H. Jones of Mercer writes: "I have 

 been thinking for some time that apples are being put on the 

 market in a manner not equal to other fruits. xA.s J. H. Hale 

 says, the cost of a neat package is more than paid for by the 

 consumer. After finding the size and shape of bushel boxes 

 used in dififerent places I chose one to suit myself — a box 

 15^ X 15^ X 10 inside measure, that size being easy to pack 

 and handle. Of about 175 barrels, which were handled mostly 

 in boxes, and with the exception of Harvey, which is a cooking 

 apple, I got from seventy-five cents to one dollar a barrel more 

 by the box than by the barrel. Mr. Page sold one load of my 

 Williams, barrels $3.50, boxes $1 .75. A very few of my boxes 

 sold for $2.25, but the most for $1.75. As it is well for us to 

 have a box of standard size and shape, and being interested in 

 this work I think I will send you a box of apples put up as I 

 ship them, for inspection." 



Seaverns & Company write as follows : " We prefer barrels 

 for fancy fruit although we have had fairly good luck in sell- 

 ing fancy fruit in half barrel boxes. We prefer half barrel 

 boxes in place of bushel boxes. We think we can get full better 

 prices for real fancy fruit in barrels than in boxes. Lots of 

 buyers when we have really a half barrel box, it is hard work to 

 make them believe it is a half barrel. We receive occasionally 

 a very fancy lot packed in boxes where we are able to get a 

 little more than barrel price, but not generally. U you go to sell 

 a man a barrel of apples he knows just what he is talking about. 

 There are so many different sizes of boxes coming that he gets 

 mixed up on the size. The best one-half barrel box we have 

 ever received is made up around Farmington and Wilton. It 

 is a full one-half barrel box. Any fruit packed in them sells 

 all right." 



D. Crosslcy & Sons write : " Would say that for fancy apples 

 the boxed package is a desirable package. The size and style 

 of box preferred is the California style, a bushel box, each apple 

 wrapped in paper, the four tier size. The grower would not get 

 better prices for apples packed in boxes if the same quality was 

 in a barrel, because apples are sold by weight in England and 



