The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-20

transverse diameter: or u. g. stand
ard Size c, Il the minimum size of
me apples is two inches in transverse
diameter"
In 1910. the. first year In which the
Virginia Fruit Growers, Inc, one
ated' we used both tho twenty. ci.sht
una h9lf Inch and twsnty-sevcn ana
,hnt tho trade almost universally de-
;nanocd tho twenty eight and n half
men stave barrel. and so In 1911, as
w vne result Result of our nrst .ycnr's business.
na!f inch atave barrel as tho stand
ara package OF the organization in
oraer That we might meet the demand
OF INC most exclusive trade In the
country and In order that we might
compete with New York state our
Ghief competitor in the East. And 70
IN prov!ding FOR the twenty eight ana
q hnif inch stavc barrel in the bDl
above referred to, Congressman suffer-
OF New York. the patron OF the BILL
ssH"gn' TO ,S Ss 4. as the United
ready established as re national
standard OF usage
AS for the grades provided for IN
thls biil. ! believe they are as s'mnle
and as fair as can possibly be secured
some varieties II may bc n bit difficult
In the beginning to grade for size ac-
cording to the PROPOSED United States
81 .Sa as, This Is pari!euiarly, true
SIZE II II were possible, IL would be
well 10 make exceptions, but when
considering the fact that tho varieties
Of apples grown in tho United States
run into the thousands, exceptions
would SO compl!cate tho standards OF
mo bin that they would be OF iittlo
Scrvice to the trade and consumers
Now. what Is OF grave Importance
to the large majority of the fruit
growers In the state OF Virginia is
tho fact that small contingent Of
AZ t,Fi. -srf yNtr
Committee OF Coinage. WciEhta and
Measures an Influence to change tho
provisions OF this bill from u twenty
eight and a ialf Inch stavc barrel 10
a twcnty-sevan and u half inch stave
barrel and change of grades pro
vidlnS for the apples OF ~. 8. standard
A. to measure three inches ana up IN
transverse diameter.
According 10 some Of the most com
petent growers and packers of the
state this change IN the ~. S. stand
ard :: \" wiii throw ~ least Is per cent.
OF Nirg!n!a's fine apples In the second
class, or " :. standard r."
In the season OF 1910 the organ!2a-
ton prescribed for such apples as the
York Imperial, Ben Davis Albemaric
Pipp'n and apples OF like size n fancy
grade 10 measure Two and three-quar-
Ter inches and UP In transverse diam
even In attempting to pack from the
larger apples Il grade TO measure not
less than two and thrGc-quartcr
inches was impracticnblc of operation,
ior the reason that there WAS left n
very large percentage of their crops
clean and VOL colnrcd. but small an
pies that could not be graded as a
strict No. 4. measuring two ana half
lncncs ana up and vet grade far bet
ter than a no. 2 Following this cy.
perienco OF 1910. In 1911 we were com
PEELED to pack our best grade of the
up, so that there might not he thrown
into tho second class ~ large percent
age OF the crop thnt would have to 10
packed g NO. 2'S under the two and
tnrec-auartcr Inch measurement. You
VIII see that n grade calling for ap-
pies not less than three inches in
transverse diameter Will really 'nnlct
serious hardship upon a very large
majority OF the fruit-Erowcrs of Vr-
sinia. This Is not only true OF Vlr-
ginIa, but II is true of other States
who pack their apples In barrels.
Virginia comedies TO none the pro-
ductlon Of inner apples of quality than
those grown'in the borders or the Old
Dominion. and the fruit-growers OF the
old State should consider this matter
gravcly and carefully and see to 1t
that no measure passes Congress that
will throw at least 20 per cent. of our
llnc apples into the second class Nor
should we be behind in the matter OF
accepting standard size barrel that,
by consent and custom, has come to
be the only national standard apple
barrel.
An argument used by those who
oppose tho twenty-eight and n halt
inch stavc barrel provision OF the bin
tile twenty-scvcn and Il half Inch stavc
barrel as its standard This is part
OF the truth only. One OF the largest
fruit growing provinces or Canada has
n legal standard providing for n thir-
ty-inch stave: other provinces have
legal standards ranging In length of
stnve below thirty Inches, while the
Dominion as n whole. has n law pro-
NIdInr That MI export apples shall BIO