STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



WORDS FROAI AN ENGLISH BUYER. 



During the autumn of 1905 Mr. Fred Pritchard, who is widely- 

 known as the member of an EngHsh house, wrote a letter to one 

 of our Pomona granges from which the secretary is permitted 

 to copy the following: 



•' I argue the orchardist should export the product of his 

 labors as a concentration of interests ; for instance, I have 

 known sections in Maine on the occasion of a medium to heavy 

 crop being entirely neglected by the speculator who at the same 

 time is making large profits in fruit bought by him in other 

 apple producing parts of the country. I also advocate the 

 grower shipping his own apples on the principle of economy. 

 Why should he not earn the quarter of a dollar which is deducted 

 from the price of the fruit to pay the packer? It is argued by 

 speculators that if the farmer packs and exports his apples the 

 trade will be ruined. He will pack everything and there will 

 be no money in the business," says he, " as prices will rule low 

 on account of the all round poor quality of the fruit." 



I assure you I received dozens of parcels of apples from 

 growers in Maine last season infinitely better packed than any 

 of the old legend mark of the speculators which have made the 

 Maine apple famous. I have seen growers' stencils sell higher 

 than some barrels with the heads all stencilled over with " High- 

 land Baldwins, " and so forth. 



Grading is a very important point and one very simply dealt 

 with. I would grade apples, ones and twos separately, only 

 when they will pack 75% ones down to 25^ inches. When the 

 proportion of twos is more than 25% I would pack ones and 

 twos together, culling closely to make a good all-round sample. 

 I have no specific reason for this advice except that my experi- 

 ence in selling Maine apples dictates it. 



In Canada the government has a law for the packing of 

 apples as to grades, and government inspectors visit railway 

 stations and steamers loading to see it strictly enforced. The 

 grades are XXX, culling for 90% of the contents of the barrel 

 to be of fruit without blemish, not less than 2]^ inches and the 

 face of the barrel is to denote the contents ; XX calls for smaller 

 fruit of proper form free of spot or blemish and the face shall 

 denote the contents; X may contain inferior quality but not 

 culls. 



