March, 1917 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
99 
An Apple Packing- and Grading- 
Bill. 
Delegates from eight states met 
at St. Louis flan. 26th to agree, if 
possible, cn a uniform bill regulat- 
ing the packing and grading of ap- 
ples. The following measure drawn 
by W. M. Scott of the Federal Bu- 
reau of Markets was approved by 
every member of the conference. 
Tliis bill has also been approved by 
the Board of Managers of this So- 
ciety and introduced in the Senate 
of Wisconsin by Senator C. E. 
Everett. 
Standardization is essential to 
the successful conduct of any busi- 
ness, fruit growing no less than the 
making of machinery. Congress 
thru the Bureau of Markets lias 
fixed standards for harley and 
corn and will extend this to other 
grains. 
We must have some fixed stand- 
ards for apples if we ever hope to 
establish a reputation for Wiscon- 
sin fruit. There are many perfect- 
ly good arguments in favor of this 
bill, in fact it is rather difficult to 
see where there can be any serious 
objection to it. The bill has been 
introduced in several states and at 
the recent meeting of the Eastern 
Fruit Growers Association in 
Washington a committee was ap- 
pointed to take the measure to 
Congress. 
Members who are interested in 
this bill will be kept informed of 
its progress by the secretary on re- 
quest. 
AN ACT TO FIX STANDARDS FOR AP- 
PLES WHEN PACKED IN CLOSED 
PACKAGES, AND FOR OTHER 
PURPOSES. 
Sec. 1. The standard grades for 
apples grown in this State when 
packed in closed packages shall be 
as follows: 
First: “Wisconsin Standard 
Fancy” shall consist of hand-pick- 
ed, properly packed apples of one 
variety, which are well grown spec- 
imens, normal in shape, uniform 
in size, of good color for the vari- 
ety, and which arc free from dirt, 
insect injury, fungous disease, 
bruises and other defects, except 
such as are necessarily caused in 
the operation of packing. “Uni- 
form in Size” shall be construed 
to mean that apples contained in 
any one package shall not. vary in 
size more than one-half inch in di- 
ameter. 
Second: “Wisconsin Standard 
A” shall consist of hand-picked 
properly packed apples of one va- 
riety, which are well grown speoi. 
mens, normal in shape, of not less 
than fifty per centum of good color 
for the variety, and which are 
practically free from dirt, insect 
injury, fungous disease, bruises 
and other defects, except such as 
are necessarily caused in the oper- 
ation of packing. 
Third: “Wisconsin Standard 
B” shall consist of hand-picked 
properly packed apples of one va- 
riety, which are well grown, and 
practically free from insect injury 
and fungous disease; provided that 
apples having healed over insect 
punctures, small scab or blotch in- 
fections, fruit spots, or other de- 
fects which, taken singly or col- 
lectively, do not materially deform 
or discolor the fruit or injure its 
keeping quality, shall be admitted 
to this grade. 
Fourth: “Wisconsin Unclassi- 
fied” shall consist of apples which 
do not conform to the foregoing 
specifications of grade, or which 
though conforming are not. brand- 
ed in accordance therewith ; pro- 
vided, that if more than 10 per 
centum of the apples are badly de- 
formed or badly discolored by scab, 
blotch, insect injury or other de- 
fects, the package containing them 
shall be marked “Culls” in addi- 
tion to the other marks or brands 
required by this Act. 
Sec. 2. In the interpretation of 
this Act a tolerance of 5 per cen- 
tum below the standard shall be al- 
lowed in the Standard Fancy 
grade, 10 per centum in the Stand- 
ard A grade, and 15 per centum in 
the Standard B grade; provided 
that not more than half the fore- 
going tolerance values shall be al- 
lowed on any single grade specifi- 
cation or defect. Such tolerance 
shall apply to size, color, and other 
grade specifications and shall be 
computed by counting or weighing 
the specimens which are judged to 
he below the standard for the grade 
in any respect, and those Tvhich are 
found to he smaller than the min- 
imum size marked on the package, 
cified in this Act, the apples in- 
cluded in the face or shown sur- 
package- 
Sec. 3. In all of the grades spe- 
face shall fairly represent the size 
and quality of the apples in the 
Sec. 4. Every closed package 
containing apples grown in the 
State of Wisconsin which is sold, 
offered or exposed for sale, packed 
for sale, or shipped for sale, shall 
bear upon the outside of one end 
in plain letters or figures, or both 
the name and address of the per- 
son by whose authority the apples 
were packed, the true name of the 
variety, the grade of the apples 
therein contained when packed or 
repacked, and the minimum size or 
the numerical count of the fruit in 
the package, provided that apples 
packed in boxes may be branded 
Extra Fancy in lieu of Standard 
Fancy; Fancy in lieu of Standard 
A ; “C” in lieu of Standard B. If 
the true name of the variety is not 
known to the packer or the person 
by whose authority the apples are 
packed cr branded, then such vari- 
ety shall be designated as “un- 
known”. Every package of ap- 
ples which is repacked shall bear 
the name and address of the person 
( Continued on Page 100 1 
