424 



Grading and Packing Apples. 



[Aug.,. 



bution of applies, the scheme will probably revolutionise the 

 system of packing fruit for the market and place it on a 

 business footing. The Federation of British Growers is 

 making history, and the movement will certainly be noted 

 when the history of British fruit growing is written. 



It is hoped that the articles on " Marketing of Fruit " and 

 Grading and Packing " in the June and July issues 

 respectively of this Journal, made it clear that to ensure success 

 it was necessary that any schemq should be an agreed one, 

 approved and supported by all sections of the horticultural 

 industry — the grower, the wholesaler and the retailer. The 

 Federation of British Growers fully realised this important 

 point, and having prepared a tentative scheme, convened a 

 meeting on 24th May, the Controller of Horticulture I>oing 

 chairman, at which representatives of the Ministry, growers, 

 wholesalers and retailers were present. The scheme of the 

 Federation was, after consideration and amendment to meet 

 the views of other sections, finally agreed to in the form set 

 out below. 



Before definitely setting out the scheme, it is probably wise 

 to inform readers as to the course which the consideration of 

 measures of reform has taken. A review of previous articles 

 in this Journal would show that the Federation of British 

 Growers proposed to issue labels to be used on packages con- 

 taining apples properly graded and packed in accordance with 

 the agreed conditions. Secondly, it was necessary to lay 

 down standards for grades of fruit, quality, size of package, 

 in terms of figures, so that the buyers and the sellers of the 

 labelled packages would be able to discuss business matters in 

 a language understood by all. 



Spaces are left on the label for the grower to fill in the name 

 of the variety, the grade of apple, and net weight or count 

 of the package, and to add, if he desires to do so, his trade 

 or other private mark. The label, duly completed by the 

 grower, and used on the packages of standard size, purports 

 to describe the apples accurately, and therefore becomes a 

 form of contract between the seller (the grower or his agent) 

 and the buyer of the fruit. It thus goes far to establish the 

 system of " honest dealings," a point strongly emphasized by 

 the Ministry in the provisional scheme. 



The Federation of British Growers proposes to establish 

 an Association known as the British Growers' Marketing 

 Association, which will be responsible for the distribution of 



