310 Fruit-growing in Arid Regions 



crates. Should there be any culls, they are returned 

 to the grower and are at his disposal. Each grower is 

 given a number, which is used to designate his fruit 

 throughout the season. As each 'box is packed, it is 

 marked with his number and the grade. When the boxes 

 are loaded into the cars, the number of boxes, the varieties, 

 and the various grades that belong to any grower are kept 

 account of and duly recorded. In this way the price for 

 each box in any car is easily determined. 



(2) But when there is a large quantity of fruit to be 

 shipped, it is impossible to pack at central points. This 

 difficulty is commonly met by allowing the growers to 

 assume the work. With this arrangement the association 

 employs an inspector, whose duty it is to inspect each 

 load as it is delivered. This he does by opening the 

 boxes on the side, in the case of apples, when a good 

 estimate of the contents may be made. If the pack is 

 satisfactory, not more than two boxes may be opened. 

 If unsatisfactory, several may be examined, and if all 

 run under the inspector's standard, the entire load must 

 either be placed in a lower grade or be repacked. It will 

 be seen that a great deal depends on the inspector, and 

 that it is a difficult position to fill. On him rests the 

 reputation of the association, so that he must be entirely 

 free to do the work as he sees fit. Each man's fruit is 

 kept track of by numbers, as in the former case. 



All associations charge commission on all sales, usually 

 5 per cent, to defray expenses. In case the packing is 

 performed by the association, an additional charge is 

 made to cover the cost of the box and packing. Any 

 surplus is, of course, distributed as premiums or used in 



