20 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
October, 1917 
vest assisting in packing under 
the law, visiting growers, and talk- 
ing to the representatives of large 
dealers who filled the hotels in this 
section at that time. Almost with- 
out exception I found that all con- 
cerned approved of the law, and 
would not for any consideration go 
back to the old system. 
Under the old system there were 
almost as many opinions as to just 
what constitutes a first grade or a 
second grade apple as there were 
different growers. The numerous 
marks which have been use 1, as A, 
B, 1, 2, Al, X, etc., bear witness 
to this confusion. Under our law 
foui 1 grades based on color, shape, 
and blemishes, namely Fancy, A, 
B, and Unclassified are definitely 
defined. In each of these different 
sizes may be packed as desired. 
Now not only must the growers 
agree on their ideas of grades, but 
each must put his knowledge into 
practice if he is to sell his fruit in 
closed packages. If I now desire 
to sell a lot of apples I may wire 
or telephone a commission man, 
naming the varieties, grades, and 
sizes I have. The buyer knows 
these grades, and can accept my 
word for he knows that if the ap- 
ples arc not up to the standard 
he may bring siiit against me for 
offering .them for sale. He may 
then make his offer without risk. 
A basis of exchange and a business 
confidence are provided which were 
impossible under the old system. 
That apples do thus sell accord- 
ing to the mark on the end of the 
barrel when the law is properly en- 
forced is attested by the experience 
of a New York packer. This man 
had a lot of apples concerning the 
grade of which he was undecided. 
Owing to this there was a misun- 
derstanding among those who were 
marking the barrels and part were 
marked one grade and part a lower 
grade. Although the apples were 
identical, the prices received cor- 
responded to the way the barrels 
were marked. 
I believe, therefore, that the law 
should prove of especial value to 
the small growers, of whom we 
have many in Wisconsin. The man 
who ships large quantities of fruit 
may establish a reputation ar.d 
market to advantage even without 
the law because his product is 
known to many dealers. To this 
man the law offers that protection 
which comes from preventing the 
markets from being spoiled with 
inferior fruit. The great advant- 
age to the small grower comes 
through having his pack known, 
although he personally may ship 
only a car or two. 
The representative of a Chicago 
commission house stated to me this 
season that he considers the Wis- 
consin Wealthy to be better if free 
from disease and other pests than 
any which he is able to obtain 
from regions farther south. But 
it is not grown in sufficient quan- 
tities in any one center to make it 
pay to send out a buyer. It is my 
belief and hope that through our 
law many of these small lots of 
Wealthies packed in a standard 
honest pack may find an advan- 
tageous market without the inter- 
vention of the buyer. 
The growers of the state will 
probably feel that it is a difficult 
matter to meet the requirements 
of the law. While moi'e attention 
must be given to sizing and grad- 
ing than in the past, I wish to as- 
sure any who are anxious that 
there is no need for apprehension. 
The Department of Agriculture 
will soon issue a bulletin explain- 
ing and defining more fully the 
terms of the law. Every packer 
should apply for a copy of this 
pamphlet. 
Where operations are on a 
small scale the grading and sizing 
may be done at once from a pack- 
ing table, placing each grade and 
size which it is desired to pack in 
a separate half bushel basket such 
as is ordinarily used in barrel 
packing. Where the operations 
are on a large scale, sizing ma- 
chines are advantageous. The 
grading must be done by hand by 
inspection, but may be done either 
before or after sizing. If done 
before one grade at a time is run 
through the machine, if afterward 
the various sizes delivered from 
the machine are later separated 
into the respective grades. Prop- 
er racking of the barrel during 
the filling process is probably the 
most important factor in comply- 
ing with the requirement of prop- 
er packing. After the addition of 
the first bushel of fruit over the 
faced layer, the barrel must be 
shaken with a sharp, short mo- 
tion, and with the addition of 
each half bushel thereafter until 
it is full. In tailing off the sur- 
face with most varieties should be 
about an inch or inch and one- 
half higher than the chine of the 
barrel, and should be arranged so 
that the pressure in forcing in the 
head will be evenly distributed. 
It is not necessary to arrange the 
tailed layers in perfect concentric 
rings as is the faced layer. In 
forcing in the head, hammering 
and knocking should be dispensed 
with, as this breaks and bruises 
the fruit unnecessarily. 
For convenience in properly 
marking the barrels most growers 
will obtain a stencil made to fit 
the head of the barrel and giving 
all the necessary data excepting 
that blank spaces are left for the 
grade, size, and variety, which 
will vary in the different barrels 
packed and may be filled in with 
rubber stamps or other stencils. 
