Standardisation of Chip Baskets. 605 



pasture as the Daost soluble types of open hearth basic slag, 

 and they are quite as effective in this respect. 



The open hearth low-soluble fluorspar slags are not so con- 

 sistent in their behaviour. The evidence suggests that the 

 less soluble types do not improve the hay crop to the same 

 extent as the high-soluble slags. 



The action of phosphates on grass land is not confined to 

 developing the clovers. They , have a very decided effect in 

 improving the quality of the grasses. The evidence available 

 does not agree with Middleton's suggestion* that the improve- 

 ment of the grasses is due to the collection of nitrogen by 

 the clover plant. It is more likely to be due to the grasses 

 benefiting by the direct fertilising effect of the phosphates 

 or to the phosphates having some action on the production 

 of nitrates in the soil, or to the operation of both these causes. 



^ ^ ^ ^ ^ 



STANDARDISATION OF CHIP 



BASKETS. 



J. Stoddart, 

 Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. 



One of the most striking features observed when visiting 

 the chief distributing markets this summer was the hetero- 

 geneous collection of packages and baskets used in marketing 

 the soft fruit crop. In no other industry is there shown 

 such a complete disregard of the essential needs of stan- 

 dardisation as affecting economic distribution. As might 

 be expected, enquiry amongst producers and distributors con- 

 cerning this condition reveals an extraordinary lack of unani- 

 mity of opinion except that some kind of reform is needed. 

 The position in regard to non-returnables, particularly the 

 baskets used for strawberries and popularly known as " chips " 

 is most noticeable, possibly because, at first sight, they appear 

 to be easily amenable to standardisation. 



In spite of the general desire for reform a state of inaction 

 persisted, possibly because those concerned w^ere waiting for 

 someone to give a lead. The INIinistry of Agriculture arranged 

 in 1920 for a full investigation into the need for and the means 

 whereby fruit packages could be standardised, and the result 

 of this investigation clearly showed that distribution of fruit 



* Journal of Agricultural Science, Vol. I, p. 131. 



