Smyrna times., 1908-12-16
FARMERS FAVOR UNIFORM
STANDARD FRUIT MEASURE
LEGISLATION NEEDED TO CON-
PEI BETTER SCALE OF SERVICE


PEI BETTER SCALE OF SERVICE
Maryland and Delaware Horticultural
Societies Cooperating With Farm
ers With This End in View
A committee of the Maryland Hor-
ticultural Society has notified the
authorities of the Peninsula Horti,
cultural Society that the committee
will meet with the Peninsula Society |
at annual convention in Wilmington
the second Tuesday in January next !
to prepare bill for the General As
semblies to compel uniform standard |
packages for marketing fruit. The |
Maryland SOciety's committee con-
sists of David B. Steward, of Bait
imore; Orlando Harrison, of Berlin
and Judge James G. Harris of Kent
county. The committees make re-
quest that all oranges and farmers
clubs and shipping associations as
well as package manufacturers be
represented at this conference. Mr..
Stewart who is president of the
Stewart Fruit Company said in dis
cussing the matter: The losses
occasioned by the careless and i'm
proper marketing of fruit and all
farm products, are stupendous.
would doubtless be severely criticised
or Immediately dubbed a crank, were
| to venture to state what l consider
a conservative estimate of losses
entailed thereby. Better commercial
Education is wanted the exercise of
more horse sense" But, conditions
are improving and advancement will
be more rapid in the next few years.
Competition Becoming Keener
Competition is becoming keeuer
every day. Only the man with the
best goods can win out 1t will be
the Survival of the fittest;" and
right here, l cannot too strongly en-
: phasize the necessity for united ac-
7 tion on the part of this Society, TO
, bring all the pressure it possibly can
, command, on those in authority, to
a have enacted and enforced a law that
will require every famer and dealer
, to use uniform size packages for
, marketing fruits and other farm pro-
ducts. 1t is impossible to maintain
: a stable market when there is no
: standard measure in use. In selling
r wheat, corn or oats, you give to the
purchaser not only a bushel, but
guarantee that the bushel as mea-
sured, shall weigh a given number
of pounds as prescribed by law. Why
should not the farmer and dealer be
q compelled to be as fair in selling
fruits and vegetables? Understand
v me, l believe that every grower
4 should receive for his product all
q it IS worth, and it is worth what il
s will bring in the open market wher
sold, in a fair manner.
i Farmers Must Come to Their Senses
"a great detriment to the fruit
e business is the lack of conformity tt
10 any prescribed standard of measure.
II l have often wondered how long il
will be before the famers come tc
, their senses and have this evil cor.
Il rected; but, understand me, this
pernicious practice does not apply
alone to the farmers; in fact he il
, not entitled to the credit of having
started it. l claim better prices
would be realized were standard uni
form package required by law to bt
used. No doubt there are some presen
3 who will say they obtained no more
a than their neighbor who shipped
E. peaches, Strawberries or apples il
g smaller packages. This may be true
m The purchaser is deceived, or he, IL
lg turn, was enabled to deceive thu
r, second purchaser. The whole system
ri is wrong. There are more differen
n sizes of peach baskets in use in ou
I'd State than there are rabbit laws il
e MARYLAND counties. Fruit is a com
t, modify that requires quick handling
st 1t is not always possible to have tn
e. buyer present to inspect the fruit TO
j. himself. Demand creates values
st To secure demand, increase distribu
o. iton. To increase distribution, w
must get distant buyers who hav
not heretofore purchased our fruits t
become customers. In order to do so
:R we should be prepared to offer then
standard pack of goods. Quality an
rY price will then determine whether W
r retain them as cutomers.