The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-08-15

that If we do not change the size oil
our box we will have to keep our ap
pies at home and eat them ourselves
But we have been using this box fol
several years without any change, an6
yet the apple buyers have literally
swarmed into the Pacific Northwest
for years, and last year Mr.. White
Joined the procession. Already some
New York buyers have been in Wash
ington looking for apples. and while
Mr.. White is not among them, fol
good reasons, he is asking the grow
ers to send him apples on consign
ment, Notwithstanding the size of oul
boxes. Why do not the men who
want our apples say in their advertise
ments and in their letters, 'We want
your apples provided you will SEND
them to us in box containing 413.t
cubic inches more than the Winches
ter bushel which is the only standard
in the United States so far as the
cubic contents of the bushel is con
cerned?" All that talk about the East
ern buyers not taking our apples in
the box we use is simply rot.
Mr.. White says the government has
decided that 80 pounds of apples make
a bushel. If that were true, it does
not follow that we would have to use
a. box whose cubic contents would be
1854 cubic inches. The government
has decided, through some of it's ex
pertinent stations, that the weight OF
a measured bushel of apples varies
from 80 lbs. up to 55 lbs. IT, therefore
the government should decree thai
each box of apples should contain just
so lbs. of fruit, it would compel us
to make almost as many sizes In
boxes as there are varieties in apples
Where apples are imported in bulk
some unit must be decided on for
the purpose of collecting revenue, and
so lbs. may be that unit for bulk
apples, but when the apples are in
closed packages such as barrels and
boxes, the rule does not apply. Mr..
White is pretty hard run for argument
when he tries to prove by this that the
government has decided that so lbs
of apples must be put into box in
order to make an honest bushel.
Mr.. White seems to aim at making
the impression that each state in the
Northwest has different sized apple
box and especially that Oregon and
Washington have different sizes. In
answer to all this, I have but to refer
to the letter of E. L. Smith of Hood
River, Ore, President of the North
west Fruitgrowers' Association, pub
lished in The Ranch in our issue OF
July Is. This association is composed
of growers and fruit dealers in Wash
ington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Montana
and British Columbia. This assOcia
ton adopted our STANDARD" box eight
years ago, and no change has beer
made since. The California box, as
special, was approved, but it differs
from our standard only in shape AND
not materially in contents. In view
of the fact that no change has occur
red since this action was taken by
this association in February, 1901, and
not so much as limited at in any Of
our meetings, how can Mr.. White
truthfully say in his letter, printed
above: 'The writer has been in the
apple business for number of years
before any apples were grown in
Washington to be sent out of the
state and knows that the boxes have
been gradually getting smaller and
smaller?" If Mr.. White had said il
is reported that such changes hat
been taking place, we could say thai
he is misinformed, but when he says
that he knows" this to be so, then
we have to explain it another way
Over against this statement l must
say that am one of the largest apple
growers in Washington, have attended
most of the meetings of the North
west Fruitgrowers' Association, ant
was one of it's officers last year, and
"know" that no change has occurred
III l1,xr kaax, 10 az