Part I.] REPORT OF SECRETARY. 41 



The Apple Grading Law. 



The apple grading law has entered on the second year of its 

 enforcement, and both growers and dealers are now fairly- 

 familiar with the law. Mr. R. E. Annin, Jr., has been in charge 

 as chief deputy inspector, and four other inspectors have been 

 employed intermittently. 



The principal apple shipping section of the State is in 

 Franklin County, where about 100,000 barrels are shipped 

 annually from the stations at Buckland, Shelburne Falls, 

 Colrain, Charlemont and Greenfield. An apple inspector has 

 been located in this territory during October and November, 

 and has thus been able to keep close track of these shipments. 

 Few of the apples in this section come to Boston, the majority 

 being sold to buyers from Providence, Ballston, New York, 

 New York City, Pittsburg, Indianapolis and Chicago. Up to 

 the outbreak of the war about 20 cars a year went to South 

 America. This will show what a wide distribution Massa- 

 chusetts-grown apples have, and how important it is that they 

 should be packed and branded so as to reflect credit on the State. 



Apple grading laws are now becoming almost universal. In 

 the northeastern part of the country thirteen States have laws, 

 and it will certainly not be long before a State without such a 

 law will be conspicuous. 



A number of minor violations of the law have been found, 

 and in these cases your secretary has deemed it sufficient to 

 call the attention of the party responsible to the error, and to 

 warn him that we would expect to find his shipments correctly 

 branded in the future. Of minor violations of this kind we 

 have had 69. 



Four cases have been entered in court and three convictions 

 secured. The other case is now pending. In one case the de- 

 fendant pleaded guilty, and the case was filed at the suggestion 

 of the Commonwealth. In the other two cases the defendant 

 was convicted and a fine imposed. The cost of enforcing the 

 law has been about $2,100. 



There are three minor amendments to the language of the 

 law which should be made to strengthen it. These amend- 

 ments do not alter its intent in any way. In the first place, 



