The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1913-03-29
MEANS BETTER PRICES
HONEST FRUIT PACK IN FUTURE
IN WESTERN MICHIGAN.
Beginning With Season Of 1918 Mlchi-
gan Fruits viii Rank With
Those Of Any state.

As a result of the publicity which
the Western Michigan apple packing
methods are receiving this winter.
fruit growers are going TO get much
better prices beginning with the COM
ing season. 1t has been discovered
that the reason that Western Michigan
fruits brought such small gross re-
turns in the past Is that the pack has
not been honest.
The farmers and orchard men have
felt that they were not getting a
square deal and they have been blam-
ing the. middle man, the commission
man and the retailer, but without get
ting any better prices. Not until the
present has the case been properly
diagnosed and the trouble definitely
located. But now that everything Is
as clear as daylight the work Of re-
construction Is most simple one.
Those who are in position to know
say that the last unstandardized West
ern Michigan fruit pack has gone to
market, and that beginning with the
season OF 1918, Michigan fruits will
rank equally we'll with those from the
other states. OF course. 1t has been
known for years that the Western
Michigan apples, because Of the eli
matte conditions and the chemical ele.
ments Of the soil, are rich in Juice and
have fine flavor. and now that uni
formity are regards the contents Of
fruit packages is assured, tire fruits
from this section will be in great de-
mand,
A Difference Of Opinion.
There is a great difference of opin-
ion as to who is guilty for the
"deaconed" barrels Of the past The
commission men and the apple buyers
are a unit In saying that the fruit
growers are the ones who used the
stove pipe 20 fill the interior of the
barrels with nubbins. On the other
hand, the fruit growers insist that
they have put up exactly the kind Of
pack the buyers have demanded. They
further insist that where the buyers
have bought apples on the trees and
done the packing themselves that the
pack has been even poorer than when
the farmers put up the fruit.
This winter the subject of fruit pack
ing is being considered in all parts of
the Western Michigan territory, and
many ideas are being expressed in re-
gard to the past and to the present
outlook. A mail symposium upon the
subject has brought to light many
valuable points. some of which are
here given. y
Isaac Garthe of Northport says:
"Sin Is always pregnant with its own
punishment, and SO In this case; but
the trouble is in that the innocent
have to suffer with the guilty But
then IL they did not. there would not
be much hope for a remedy. So let
us keep on; we will win In the end"
A number of fruit growers are urg-
ing that the matter Of apple packing
be subject for legislation. They
realize that laws cannot do everything.
but they are sure that something can
be accomplished. For instance. Victor
Alsberge of liberia. says: Il dc not
think standard package or a law in
regard to standard pack will do the
work entirely. or course, 1t VIII help
some and such legislation should be
passed as soon as can be, but law
will not make dishonest man hon
est"
One OF Mr. Alsberge's neighbors,
who has given a great deal of thought
to the subject, says: "A grower
should begin to pack barrel or box
of apples in the winter, or at least in
the spring previous to the growing OF
the apples. In other words, grower