Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1911-08-11

WlIIUn OHLD DAME
SHOULD GROWERS USE?
Anent the usual discussion of stan
dard barrels and boxes, about which
SO much is heard at this time of the
year, Dispatch-News reporter yes
terday called at the office of the Vir-
GINA Fruit Growers, Inc, (the some
time Shenandoah Valley Fruit Grow
ers Association and interviewed Man
anger Clarence w. Moomaw relative
to the standard barrel.
Mr.. Moomaw stated that while the
Virginia statute determines the mini
mum size barrel allowed for packing
apples, still so far as actual usage is
concerned the State has never had
a standard barrel, and that the ma
jority of apples shipped out of the
State have been packed in the So
called New York standard barrel,
which measures 2Sh inches in
length, being one inch longer than
the so-called Virginia standard.
Manager Moomaw stated that pro-
portionately more of the New York
standard barrels are used each year
and that the time is not far distant
when practically all standard packed
Virginia apples will be shipped in the
28h inch stave barrel.
Regarded As National Standard
When asked for an explanation of
this, he stated that while the Federal
statute Nprescribes no standard apple
barrel for the United States, still
Ithe New York standard measurement
has so grown in popularity that it is
accepted by shippers and trade alike
the country over as the national
standard, and that, as matter OF
fact, it is more or less difficult to
make f. o. b. sales to distant buyers
when the apples are packed in the So
called Virginia standard.
Mr.. Moomaw related an experience
the organization had last year with
car of the short measurement bar
rels shipped to New Orleans. The
buyer supposed he would receive the
generally accepted national barrel
and when he discovered the fruit was
packed in the short Virginia barrel
he refused to accept the car at the
Invoice price, and the organization
was forced to make disposition of the
fruit elsewhere.
When asked regarding the asser.
York standard is being forced upon
Virginia fruit growers by the buyers
who by this process get one peck o.
apples more than if they accepted
the so-called Virginia standard, Mr.
Moomaw stated that the fruit deal
ers the country over more or less
demand the 281s inch stave barre
and that some states strictly requir
ed apples sold in their borders to b.
packed in this size barrel, SO tina
when an operator makes his pur
chase of apples in Virginia he mus
of necessity pack his fruit in the bar
rel that will be acceptable to thu
trade throughout the country, an(
especially in those markets where
the law strictly requires that meas
urement. r
Shipment Was Refused
In illustration of this, it was stat
ed that New York City strictly re
quires a barrel measuring 17B b.
281a by not less than 81 inch bilge
and furthermore that anyone ship
ping a barrel under this measure
ment into New York City shall pay
a fine of not less than SIS for eacl
offence.
1t has been generally considered
that shippers using a barrel measur
ing less than the New York standard
could make shipments into New Yorl
by marking the packages short bar
REL" but, as matter of fact &C
cording to Mr.. Moomaw, a recen,
ruling has eliminated this provision
SO that whether the package be
marked short" or not the shipper
using a short package is subject to 6
fine for each offense. Furthermore
the exact contents OF the barrel II
quarts must be marked on the out.
side, the package accepted as stand.
ard by New York holding 100 quarts
In other words, Virginians who de-
sire to ship to the New York markets
are compelled to use the % u inch
stave barrel and must indicate upon
the outside OF the package that the
barrel holds 100 quarts of apples.
Catering to the New York Market
Mr. Moomaw asserted that the Vir-
ginia varieties are rapidly growing
in favor in New York City, and that a
shipper handling large amounts of
fruit expects at all times to place a
certain portion Of his output in that
city. Aside from this Virginia ship
pers must also cater to that unwrit-
ten law of the fruit trade through
out the country which requires the
so-called New York standard or 100
quart barrel. By experienced ship
pers Of apples 1t is generally admit
ted that the 271A inch stave apple
barrel is in disfavor, and that 1t is a
matter of difficulty to sell that size
barrel in competition with the I'M
written national standard or the So
called New York standard.
Must Accept Common Standard
Speaking further of the attitude
of the Virginia Fruit Growers, Inc,
toward Its use of the so-called New
York standard as opposed to the So
called Virginia standard, Mr.. Moo
nav had the following to say: