No. 123.] DIVISION OF MARKETS. 45 



to represent the actual weight of a bushel of any commodity at the time 

 of sale. Experience teaches that a standard unit of measure must be 

 definite and constant, having a fixed and uniform value at all times and 

 under all conditions and circumstances. The avoirdupois jwund meets 

 with all these requirements, and there appears to be a substantial unani- 

 mity of opinion on the part of all concerned in favor of requiring all retail 

 sales of fruits, vegetables and grains to be made on the basis of avoirdupois 

 weight, exception being made in regard to certain fruits or vegetables which 

 have been carefully graded as to size, in which case the sale may be made 

 upon the basis of numerical count, and provided, also, that retail sales 

 may be made in any original unbroken standard container in which the 

 goods were received by the retailer. 



The legislation which was finally passed abolished the w^eight 

 per measure system, substituting therefor retail sales by weight 

 or count, and brought about a situation where sales wdll be 

 made at either wholesale or retail in the original standard 

 containers without weighing and counting at the time of sale, 

 the term "standard container" as used in this connection in- 

 cluding only barrels, boxes, baskets, hampers or similar con- 

 tainers the dimensions or capacity of which was established 

 by law of this Commonwealth and by act of Congress, the 

 contents of which had not been removed or repacked by the 

 retailer and upon which is plainly and conspicuously marked 

 the net quantity of contents thereof in terms of weight, meas- 

 ure or numerical count. 



The results of this legislation are far-reaching when it is 

 understood that this law brings about the adoption of national 

 standard containers for use in the Commonwealth. 



Roadside Markets. 



Massachusetts already has many roadside markets which 

 have been most successful in providing a means of marketing 

 farm products, enabling both the grower and the consumer to 

 profit from the ehmination of transportation and distribution 

 charges. Early attempts on the part of farmers to sell by sign 

 advertising did not produce the results that the roadside stand 

 has accomplished. The fact that such stands are being ap- 

 preciated by the buying public which frequents the automobile 

 highways is indicated by the great number of these markets 

 to the mile in some sections of the State. 



Over 2,000 baskets of peaches last season is only a part of 



