No. 123.] DIVISION OF MARKETS. 43 



It has been a buyer's market throughout the season. Very 

 few sales were made until picking time. Dealers and pedlers 

 from near-by cities have taken out some early fruit and the 

 poorer grades of winter apples. The motor truck is becoming 

 an important factor in the marketing of the county's apple 

 crops. One buyer has shipped several thousand barrels to 

 Providence, Rhode Island, in this manner, trucks taking as 

 many as 100 barrels per load. Speed in getting to market, the 

 shorter time required between picking and placing in cold 

 storage at terminal points, and the difficulty in obtaining cars 

 when needed are three factors which are encouraging the use 

 of trucks. 



Distribution of carload shipments has been mostly to the 

 same points that have received the bulk of the county's crops 

 for the last five years. The largest buyer has shipped to 

 Ballston Spa, New York, for storage. Many of these apples 

 are orchard-run and will probably be repacked before being 

 marketed. Another large buyer has shipped to Providence, 

 Rhode Island, for storage and immediate market. Buyers 

 of smaller lots have shipped to Boston, Worcester, Springfield, 

 Holyoke, Hartford and New Haven. About 2,000 barrels have 

 been shipped to Boston docks for export. Comparatively few 

 lots have been graded, due largely to the poor quality of the 

 apples. Many lots have been sold orchard-run with the heads 

 put in the barrels just as they come from the orchard. With 

 such conditions existing it is a surprising fact that there have 

 been a greater number of violations of the grading law than 

 have occurred in either of the past two years. This is due to 

 the fact that several new buyers, who have professed unfamili- 

 arity with the grading law and inspection service, have been 

 operating in the county. Violations have been mostly because 

 of overfacing or because of the presence of apples in barrels 

 smaller than the designated minimum size. Up to the present 

 time 5 cars have been remarked in order to conform to the 

 law, 1 car has been repacked, and 3 cars are in the process of 

 repacking. 



Standard Containers. 



Standard containers for marketing fruits and vegetables are 

 of more interest to the average citizen than he generally 

 realizes. Not only is he defrauded frequently by the substitu- 

 tion of short-measure packages at full-measure price, which is 



