Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-02-18
Pathological Work for 1908.

At a recent meeting of the executive
committee of the Maine State Pomo-
logical Society, the work for 1907 was
concluded and plans made for the COM
ing season.
The principal subjects under con-
sideration were the adoption Of a stand
ard box and barrel, laws regulating the
packing and marking of fruit, co-opera-
ton in the handling of fruit, and ways
and means of increasing the member
ship of the society.
The need of a standard box and barrel
has long been felt among the leading
apple growers of our state. Every one
understands the situation and wishes to
see change. We are now putting our
fruit on the market in various styles OF
pack ages and are reaping a just, but
rather unsatisfactory reward. We can
but realize what a great benefit it would
be to growers, commission men, and con-
sumers alike to have all fruit shipped in
uniform style package.
The standard box and barrel is only
half the story, for We must have to go
with these, laws regulating the sorting,
packing and marking of fruit. We
should have certain fixed grades and
certain uniform marks to distinguish
them. We do not mean to enact laws
which will compel every grower to sort
and pack his apples according to stand
ard rules, throwing away all that do not
come up to the fixed high grades. Ev-
cry man should have the right to put
such fruit on the market, as he desires,
while common fruit should not bear the
stamp of fancy article. This way, so
often practiced, of marking everything
with Fancy" is all wrong and un-
doubtedly is our greatest drawback in
the foreign markets.
Cooperation is something we are COM
ing to and the sooner the better. Farm
ers are more and more clubbing to-
gether in shipping, each putting in
few barrels to make up full car, thus
saving freight. This is only the first
step of cooperation along more extern
sive lines. Why should we not form
stock companies, build US cold storage
plants of some sort, haul our apples to
this building, have them all packed by
the same person, shipped and sold under
the name of the cooperative society?
The man who wishes to build up an
especial market for his own fruit could
have a private mark of his own, which
could also be added. Those apples not
fit to be put on the market might be
canned or ground into cider at the plant,
owned by the cooperative society. In
this way nothing is lost or wasted, and
the best prices obtained for all grades.
Such societies have been formed in
other places and are great help to
communities and individuals.
Ii is to work along these lines that the
Pathological Society will give especial
attention in the coming season.
The Maine State Pathological Society
is the one society in Maine, which has
for its object the formation of the fruit
growing industry. The apple crop in
the state this year has been estimated at
1900, 900 barrels and there are probably
over 10000 men in the state who are
actively interested in apple culture, yet
but comparatively very few belong to
the Pathological Society. The society,
to do the work for which it is intended,
needs the help of every intelligent fruit
grower in the state. Let every man
with even a small orchard think that
this is his society, organized for his
good, and il it falls short of its highest
possibilities, the fault lies first with him
for not being an active member.-Wil-
liam j. Kicker in Maine Farmer.