Vol. LXI. No 2737. 
NEW YORK, JULY 12, 1902. 
81 PER YEAR 
FRUIT PROSPECTS IN WESTERN NEW YORK 
A SCARCITY OF GOOD FRUIT. 
Suggestions About Packing and Grading. 
I have examined several representative orchards, 
and find that the apple crop, in hulk, is about 65 to 
75 per cent as large as the crop of 1900, which may be 
considered a full crop. But the quality is very un¬ 
equal, and will not compare favorably with that of 
two years ago. I find a very remarkable development 
ofscab. Orchards 
that have not 
been sprayed are 
practically ruin¬ 
ed. Even well- 
sprayed orchards 
are not free from 
the trouble; the 
higher parts of 
the trees, which 
presumably re¬ 
ceived the least 
spray, show the 
most disease. On 
the average but 
little if anymore 
than one-half 
the fruit on the 
trees t o-d a y 
could be graded 
as first-class. If 
we base our es¬ 
timate of the 
crop on first- 
class fruit only 
it will probably 
not exceed 35 to 
40 per cent of 
the crop of two 
years ago. 
The pear crop 
is very light. 
Some few o r- 
chardsshow 
nearly full crops, 
but many are 
almost a total 
failure. Bartlett 
and Kieffer are 
now doing best, 
and will prob¬ 
ably average 50 
per cent; Duch¬ 
ess and Anjou 
not more than 25 
percent. Peaches 
show some good 
crops near the 
lake (Ontario), 
but back two or 
three miles or so 
from us shores 
the crop is al¬ 
most a total fail¬ 
ure. As the larg¬ 
est orchards are near the lake the crop will probably 
amount to 60 per cent of average. Plums are very un¬ 
even; some fair crops, but many orchards a total fail¬ 
ure. Burbank, Niagara, Fellenberg and some others 
may give half a crop. Reine Claude, a popular plum 
here, is almost a total failure. Sour cherries will 
probably equal a half crop. Sweet cherries are little 
grown for market. The quality of our pears, peaches 
and plums, from the fact that the trees are not over¬ 
loaded and the foliage is good promises to be superb. 
In addition to the above report I would suggest that, 
owing to the condition of the apple crop, the question 
of honest grading will be one of prime importance in 
the successful marketing of that crop. Under the 
present chaotic condition it is probable that so much 
trash will be offered as first-grade fruit as to demoral¬ 
ize the market, or at least greatly to depress the price 
of all of our fruit. A specific standard of grading, 
such as was recommended to the State Fruit Growers’ 
Association at the meeting in Syracuse last Winter, 
would enable us to offer a grading that could be de¬ 
pended upon by dealers and consumers. Such seasons 
as the present will help to educate our fruit growers 
to the necessity of some, such method, w. t. mann. 
Niagara Co., N. Y. 
Standard Grades and Packing. 
At the last meeting of the New York Fruit Growers’ 
Association Mr. Mann suggested a system of uniform 
grading to be covered and enforced by a State law. 
Some of the more important of these suggestions 
about apples are given below: 
We recognize the fact that growers often produce 
fruit that cannot be put upon the market as high- 
grade or fancy fruit, and the privilege of grading such 
fruit in such manner as the grower may desire should 
not be abridged, but there can be no injustice In re¬ 
serving distinctive marks or names for a legally es¬ 
tablished standard, and by so doing we can establish 
a reputation and 
tend to increase 
the price of our 
products. Fur¬ 
ther, by being 
able to put such 
a g u a r a n teed 
package upon 
the market the 
members of this 
Association will 
be able to use 
with safety a 
registered trade 
mark, if desired. 
Such a desire 
has been ex¬ 
pressed by mem¬ 
bers of the As¬ 
sociation, but we 
believe that a 
trade mark can¬ 
not be used with 
safety except the 
grading and 
marking be pro¬ 
tected by legis¬ 
lation. A law 
embodying the 
following provl- 
s i o n s, we be¬ 
lieve, would ac¬ 
complish these 
objects: 
Section 1. A 
grade of apples 
to be known as 
select, shall con¬ 
tain only per¬ 
fect, or nearly 
perfect, fruits, 
i n c 1 u d ing the 
stem. They shall 
be hand picked, 
of normal form 
and bright, nor¬ 
mal color, free 
from the action 
of worms and 
d e f a cement of 
surface by dis¬ 
ease or other 
cause. The fruits 
shall be nearly 
uniform In size 
in each package and the grading shall be practically 
uniform throughout each package. (This grade is for 
fancy fruit only, and is designed principally for pack¬ 
ing in boxes or other small packages.) 
Section 2. A grade of apples to be known as stand¬ 
ard shall contain apples not less than 2*6 Inches In 
diameter, of normal form and color for the variety ex¬ 
cept that slight discolorations known as russet may 
not be a cause of rejection. They shall be hand 
picked, practically free from the action of worms, 
