PREPARING THE FRUITS FOR MARKET 31 



means packages sealed up so that the buyer cannot easily 

 examine the contents. All packages not sealed would 

 not need to conform in any way to these laws. Second : 

 The State of Maine has the only law specifying sizes 

 of apples according to the different grades. The other 

 states specify that the minimum size shall be marked 

 on the package and this minimum size shall not have 

 less than 95% of the apples equal to or above the size 

 mentioned. Third: That the United States law does 

 not refer to anything except standard barrels. Apples 

 packed in boxes or other packages need not conform to 

 the United States law. 



The grade of apples known 'as the unclassified, ac- 

 cording to the New York and Maine laws, is hardly 

 explainable because of its doubtful use. The only in- 

 stances where it seems to be of value is in case the 

 grower does not wish to pack according to any of the 

 other standard grades. In enacting such a law, there 

 was considerable opposition among the fruit growers and 

 apparently the unclassified was put on to gratify such 

 growers who did not care to pack or grade their fruit; 

 because any size or any variety or mixtures thereof may 

 be included in this unclassified grade, and all that is 

 necessary to comply with the law will be to mark the 

 packages "unclassified." 



It is quite possible that these laws will be changed in 

 the near future to conform more closely with the stan- 

 dard that the Western organizations have set. There ap- 

 parently is no question among the more advanced 

 growers and handlers of fruit that standard grades and 

 packages are necessary, and they predict that in a few 

 years there will be scarcely any demand for apples that 



