The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-28
The Applet awNowBefore Congress

To the Editor OF The Times Dispatch:
Sir.--l agroe with MIR. Mioomaw that
Inc action to be taken on the Sulzci
bin IS matter OF great Importance TO
the fruit-growers of Virginia, but with
j beg respectfully 70 disagree
The fruit-growers OF Aibemarle and
Nelson counties, with other Piedmont
orchardists. are growing the finest
OF II Is exported. our chief competitor
being Canada Tho apples of the lat
ter country are not. SO high in quail
packing is very fine. due to law on
their statute books based upon hon.
esty. fair dealing and scientific princI-
pies. We wish n law as good as
law now before Congress FOR the fol-
lowing reasons:
J.. 1t is no, honest. 1t Iegalizes a
pack that deceives the consumer and
II makes the United States govern
lncnt approve a barrel faced with
large. fine apples while the rest q
packed with small and inferior fruit
highest grade.
2. II is 4 distinct attempt by New
York buyers and packers TO lower the
grading of fruit; The grading the pro-
than that OF The Canada law. and Its
effect would he to put OUR hno fruit
IT a great disadvantage IN foreign
markets. 1t allows ~. S. Standard
in every barrel OF rotten. wormy or
sc2hby apples. when Virginia growers
have been training their packers to
exclude from their frst grade every
single apple which has one OF these
defects,
Another serious error which will a,
arSt deceive the consumer and then
absolutely destroy confidence IN tho
- O. H..
there Is no limit TO the smallest size
With which Il barrel can be packed:
and the consumer VIII never know
from the stamp what size he Is going
a barrel marked ~. s. Standard a"
and finds few small two and one -halt
inch apples. but the rest of good size.
and he is well pleased He buys an
marked ~. S, Standard a." expecting
TO set about the same size fruit, but
he Gnds not one good sized apple II
The barrel, the whole barrel packed
with little two ana one-half inch ap-
pies. UDder this law ~. S. Standard
A. can be stamped OF barrel double
apples. and then down beneath little
Two aud one-half inch fellows and
more than n peck OF them wormy.
scabby. rotten specked Rtur that
ought to have gone to the cider mill
ar to the pig pen. We asked the in
f,uentia lobby OF apple buyers who
nre pressing this bin to agree upon
amendments which would require an
honest. high class pack we were told
with great suayity that 1t WAS recoG-
uized that the grading of the Sulzer
bill was much lower than that OF
Virginia packers. and high compli-
and packing. but we were further told
that the New York people would not
stand for It: that they could not
or would not adopt SO good n pack.
This law is a distinct effort to clothe
that IS essentially lacking in rcspcc-
liability. Why cannot tho United
States stand for" as high q law as
should we Piedmont people go into
the markets abroad with our govern
ment stamp upon our barCol which the
foreigner would consider badge of
thing Of which our English cousins
now have almost a superstiuous
dread7
a. Another sSsuraity wi, IN the bin VI, is
law are 10 De tho chemists of the
bureau Of chemistry These gentle
men who "cavil on the ninth part of
a hair" use microscopes and weigh
an atom. when II came to fruit inspect
ing. would not know n " hawk from
hand saw" OF course the division
of pomology should have THIS matter
in hand.
l. The bill contains no appropria-
ton. provides for no inspectors nor
ing the law, Hamlet" with Hamlet
left out.
so much for the general objections
10 the BILL In two matters il is gross
" unjust to Piedmont Virginia and
viii occasion great loss TO us. The first
of these is in the lack OF scientific
classification, the hunglIng Beneralza-
Tion OF tho bill. There arc two dis
1inct classes of apples recognized
everywhere. by all growers and by all
buyers, tac large apple. such. for in
stance, as the AlbcrInarlc Pippin and
the York Imperial. the first grade OF
which runs from two and one-hnlf in
chas in diameter up. and such APP
pies rs the Winesam and Jopathau.
which !u the first grade run from two
and onc-qeS fter .4nches and mp. This
bin forces .rs- 10 put 81 considera bile
part OF our fret grade Winesaps into
tho second grade ana sell them a a
loss. In other words. this law. Will
stamping Il barrel OF Ben Davis first
grade or "a" forces us to stamp
Winesap apples second grade or "B."
which have always heretofore sold as
hrst grade. and this simply because
the Winesap does not grow as big as
a Ben Davis, and the trainers OF tho
law are too lazy or too ignorant OF
horticultural matters TO make proper
classiicat ton.
Another most unrea sonable injury Is
done us by the size o! the barrel
which this law forces upon US The
apple barrel standard by law in Vir-
g!nia is a three bushel barrel. the
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