APPLES 



375 



"perfection" is a relative term and that 

 nothing known to us is absolutely per- 

 fect. But in the sense in which we use 

 the word it means "lacking nothing that 

 is desirable or essential to complete de- 

 velopment or the highest attainable qual- 

 ities." Since some apples are of higher 

 quality than others, as is the case of 

 the Spitzenburg as compared with the 

 Ben Davis, it seems necessary to give a 

 definition something like this: "Lacking 

 nothing requisite to its kind." In this 

 case each and every variet.v of apjtle 

 would be judged in accordance with the 

 ideals of the judges as to the standards 

 of perfection of the variety being judged 

 and not by standards of excellence of 

 other varieties. 



Exhibitors often inquire, "What is a 

 perfect standard?" "Who has the right to 

 fix a standard which will determine the 

 perfect specimen?" "Who is authority on 

 this subject?" 



It is not easy to answer all the inquiries 

 made as to why a particular exhibit is 

 given a premium while another which, to 

 the unpractised eye. looks as good or bet- 

 ter, is not given an award. It is impor- 

 tant, however, to state that the standard 

 is set by the best pomologists of the 

 American Pomological Society. These 

 pomologists consider that certain vari- 

 eties of apples have certain distinguishing 

 characteristics. These characteristics were 

 determined, perhaps, by the nature of the 

 original tree, but no matter how they 

 came to be fixed characteristics they are 

 nevertheless features which differentiate 

 it from other types. After a type is es- 

 tablished, described by pomologists, and 

 comes to be known as possessing certain 

 qualities, the problem of the judge is not 

 so much concerned with the quality of the 

 apple as compared with other varieties, 

 as how nearly it approaches the perfect 

 type of this variety. In other words. Is it 

 "true to type?" 



Further, there is a tendency for apples 

 to vary on account of soil, climate, sun- 

 shine, elevation and other factors which 

 enter into their environment. After all 

 the factors are considered pomologists gen- 

 erally select the apple most like the orig- 



inal type. It has been the writer's good 

 fortune to attend apple judging contests 

 during the last twelve years and he 

 would earnestly recommend that in every 

 important contest there be appointed three 

 judges Instead of one. The reason is clear 

 when it is remembered that so many fac- 

 tors enter into the question as to what 

 constitutes a perfect type of any partic- 

 ular variety. 



Since the market value of apples enters 

 so largely into the question of apple grow- 

 ing and determines in so great degree 

 what will be the grower's profit, it seems 

 to me that of three judges two should be 

 commercial fruit dealers and one a scien- 

 tific pomologist. The pomologist is likely 

 to have in mind the hereditary traits of 

 the apple while the commercial dealer will 

 have in mind the selling quality of the 

 fruit. Since the decisions are educational 

 and since the education should be of such 

 a character as to produce the highest 

 values possible with a given amount of 

 labor, the decisions of the dealer are of 

 more practical value than those of the 

 pomologist. The writer has in mind sev- 

 eral contests where the competition was 

 so keen that in order to reach a conclu- 

 sion it became necessary to remove all 

 the apples from the boxes and to pass 

 upon each apple separately. 



Where the decisions have been rendered 

 by three judges, even where the contest 

 was close, the contestants have seldom 

 questioned the accuracy of the conclu- 

 sions. But where the contest is close 

 and the matter is decided by one alone, 

 there is almost always dissatisfaction. 



Robert Morga?j 



Sugfrestions for Score Card for Exliibi- 

 tioiis of Boxed .Vpples 



The score card here suggested was ar- 

 ranged by Frank Kinsey, author of the 

 article on Apple Packing in this work, 

 who has had a wide experience East and 

 West in preparing boxed apples for ex- 

 hibition. The suggestion is concurred in 

 by C. J. Sinsel, of Boise, Ida., well known 

 as an expert in these matters. The score 

 card of the International Apple Show is 

 also given as the "Spokane Card." 



