The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-04-20


sufficient percentage of the crop to bt
entitled to be put in a class by itselt
is at least an inch more in diameter
than the minimum of the highes
standard fixed in this bill; and think
the committee can readily see what ar
injury il would be to the growers ii
all that section of the country, who
produce a crop 80 per cent of whicf
is so much larger than the standard
box in this bill, if growers in other
sections of the country. who can no
compete with the northwest in this re-
spect, are permitted to put their crop:
out as first grade and first standard
leaving to Washington and Oregon
and Idaho growers the task of per.
suading purchasers and educatini
purchasers up to the proposition thai
they have an apple. which. as is ad.
mitted here. is so much superior I,
the No. apple under the provisions
of this bin 1t would naturally detract
from the value of their apple to create
demand for a standard apple which
was far inferior to theirs and which
would tend to bring down the super
"
this large percentage of their crop to
No. / grade as fixed by this bill.
Size of Box.
Now so far as the size of the box
is concerned l think that the state
ment made by the gentleman from
Virginia here this morning whom you
will remember as having been a state
senator in Virginia. and a large apple
grower there is not correct. Suppose
that it was agreed that it was desir-
able to fix q standard size for the box,
and the committee were engaged in
determining what that standard
should be. The action of the apple
growers of Virginia would be one cir
cumstance which ought to throw some
light upon the subject. They met in
and upon consideration of
the whole matter. the gentleman from
Virginia who addressed the committee
this morning told you that they Sc
lected the Oregon box as the best
thing that there was in existence. so
far as an apple box is concerned.
"Now, along the same line, it has
been stated and not denied here that
Canada, 50 far as their box is con-
cerned, has adopted the northwest
special box-a box which is used COM
monly in the northwest, called the
Special Northwest Box" This box
is used in Idaho, Oregon
Mr.. Cocks. Could you tell us about
the size of that box?
Mr.. PoindeXter. Yes, sir: I will give
,,on tho ipci1a rpoaS,,rapp Of this
special box. They are 10 by II bv
20. The inside measurement of the
ordinary box used in the northwest
are Il by IL u by IS. / understand
that the assertion made that the box
does not contain a bushel is based up
IN the proposition of heaping peck
L heaping half bushel, and heaping
bushel measurement. That is more or
ess indefinite and uncertain. how
many apples can be heaped up. round
I'd up. on these various measures.
More Than Standard Bushcl.
"These boxes which are used in the
northwest contain more cubic inches.
without any distension whatever. than
are contained in standard bushel
Necessarily. they are always distended
in packing. | suppose | know very
little about the practical side of rails
ing or packing apples. but l suppose it
Is necessary to have that distension
to have two or three of the boards
upon the fruit in order to keep them
in place and to keep them from roll
ling about in the box while being
That increases the number
of cubic inches in the box to that eX-
tent | have heard it variously stated
going as high as 100 cubic inches, in
addition to the linear inside measure
ment of the box which, without any
contains som ething like
90 inches more than bushel, without
distension.
Mr.. Cocks. Is that standard
Oregon box?
Mr.. POindeter. Yes sir.
"In addition to the standard size
Of the apple, and the standard size
of the box, there is a question as to
the standard quality of the apple, as
to whether it should be wormy or de-
fective in any other respect.
Nov, We are not objecting to the
IlNlHS VI u Sldubd4tl lOl lIlt NudlllN VI
our fruit What we are objecting to
is the lowering of that standard. We
are Directing to the United States
government giving the great author
ity of its action and its wisdom in
fixing the highest governmental grade
for the quality of apples, and put
ting upon the market an apple which
is inferior to those that we are sell
ling. and compelling us to compete
with our superior apples, upon an
equal basis with them.
TOO Many Defective Apples.
1T is true that we NAV. as claimed
by this association. brand our anples,
us my friend here does. He has the
Cold Medal brand. or something of
that kind; but that is a special edu-
cation of the trade. You have to
persuade them and convince them by
special efforts that Won have some
thing better than the first grade that
is fixed by the government. II is a
positive injury and a positive loss to
the people of the northwest to have
"A standard fixed as to the quality OF
apples. allowing 10 per cent of dcfec-
tive apples in box. ! do not think
that that is very honest. | do not
see how this bin is in the interest
of honesty. l do not think it is hon
est for the United States government
to say to a man. These are put ont
under the brand that is fixed nv the
government as flrst-class No. l.. and
yet in that box one-tenth of them may
be absolutely defective and absolutely
useless for the purpose for which they
are bought.
In packing apples in the northwest
ig In