The Glenwood post., 1910-05-14
THE PURE FOOD LAW
RESTRICTS FRUIT LABELS

No more cantaloupes from Texas Cal
ifornia. the Carolinas and New Jersey
will be sold on the market as "genuine
Rocky Fords,' according to decision
J handed down in Washington by the ma.
tional board of food inspection of the
department of agriculture.
Hereafter, the only cantaloupes that
can be sold as Rocky Fords" will be
! the cantaloupes grown within the Rocky
Ford district in Colorado. That this de-
elslon will apply to other fruits AMI
vegetables also is shown by the fact
that the same decision holds that no
oranges may be branded "lndian Riv-
tually grown in the Indian River dis.
trict, in Florida.
The board says in its decisions:
"There are many cases which have
been considered by the board of food
and drug inspection in which it has
been necessary to decide whether or NOT
In its opinion certain geographical
names have been sufficiently generic 20
indicate style, type or brand, and in
consequence might be used without of.
Vending any of the provisions of the
iood and drug act. Among the geo
graphical names which have been under
consideration are Rocky Ford as ap-
Piled to cantaloupes. and Indian Riv-
er, as applied to oranges.
1.-The Rocky Ford melon is not a new
variety of melon, but is one of the older
varieties of melons, which in the enyi-
comment of Rocky Ford, Colo. has a.
tanned particular excellence. The same
remark applies to the Indian River orap-
ges of Florida. They are not new va
riety. but various varieties which. in
the environment of the Indian river.
have attained unusual excellence.
1.-The board holds that the terms
Rocky Ford and Indian River, have
not become sufficiently generic to indi.
cate styles, types or brands of melons
and oranges, respectively, but that
these geographical names are only prop.
erly applied to the product of the re-
stricted area for the melons which are
grown IN or near Rocky Ford and for
the product grown in or near the Indian
river
'lnasmuch as the term Rocky Ford,
has thus become associated with a melon
OF peculiar excellence of a certain geo.
graphical locality, the board holds that
1t is unlawful to sell in interstate com.
meree melons not grown in the Rocky
Ford district as Rocky Ford seed mel
ons. The terms are nearly alike tho in.
tent is to deceive, and the law provides
that the label should not be false or dc.
ceptive IN any particular"
The decision of the board means much
to the Grand valley. Not that the
Grand valley has ever branded its can.
taloupes "Rocky Fords" for this has
never been done. All Grand valley can.
'aioupes have gone out as Clifton canta-
ioupes, and as such have made a greater
reputation even than the Rocky Fords
among those who have used them. As
the demand increases, other districts
under the above decision, will be pre-.
vented from trading on their popularity.
Furthermore, under the decision no
other fruit may be branded save that
winch is actually grown in its own par
ticular district. Therefore if the fruit
growers of any section decide to make
an advertising campaign for the push.
ing of the sale of its fruit, growers
from other sections will not be allowed
to brand their fruit as fruit from that
district, and so secure better prices
while at the same time lowering the
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