Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-01
FRUIT SHOWS and JUDGING THE
FRU|T-|MPORT ANCE OF THE SHOWS
Valuable Article by Prof Of Horticulture B. s. Brown of Col
lege of Agriculture u of Me Points About Judging the
Package Uniformity of Sze Insects and Blemshes, End
Play and the Judges 49,.

Height at Ends ........................ 60
ICompactness ...1........................ so
I Attractiveness or Style ................ 40
/ 400
With this very elaborate schedule as a
guide the judges have only to examine
the 4ackage and see how nearly, in their
4 Judgment, It conforms to the standard.
While this appears very easy to do, 1t is
in reality very difficult Men do not oft
en- think alike, hence two or three judges
are better than one as their opinion
represents an average. Where there are
several hundred or q thousand boxes to
examine, two or three days time will be
| necessary to examine them with the
painstaking attention to details neces-
sary.
! The Judges.
Many judges for large shows are men
of prominence, who are not accustomed
to much physical work and who are in
| the habit of turning over details to
clerks or subordinates. Often the work
must be done in the presence of noisX
crowds. A mans judgment may be keen
and active at the beginning of the
work, but at the end of the day
becomes tagged from pure exhaus-
| tion In most cases judges get no
pay except sufficient to cover travelling
expenses, considering that the experience
and knowledge gained will Offset the loss
of time. Most shows cannot afford sal
aried judges. yet many dollars In prizes.
good will and prestige depends upon the
opinion of the ones examining the fruit.
Exhibitors are often critical. and it is
-lr~l.k a
know how their fruit scores and wherein
they may improve anotherI year. Score
cards should be left with the exhibitor
or placed on file to be reviewed or stud
led over. Such work is largely educa-
tional and were 1t not for the fact that
the various educational institutions so
considered 1t and allowed their instrue-
tors to go on such work without loss of
time, fruit shows would find competent
judges difsicuit to secure
The details of examining a commercial
box pack is not difficult to comprehend.
but calls for careful, painstaking exact
ness and an acuteness of judgment,
which is altogether too often lacking.
Having a copy of the official score card
and q list Of the classes of exhibits they
proceed to the racks and begin examin-
ing the fruit. Where the box entries are
numerous II Is impractical to go through
every box. OF the so box entries, 10 are
usually examined, OF the g. Ave of the
five, tive, and of the single box entries
1t is customary to examine but half OF
the contents OF each box. The judges
should work together. On the single box
exhibits they score one at time finish
1 fvo ooh xrar
the next OF the entries of FIVE or more
each Judge takes a box, being careful to
keep the same relative number for each
one. The average then stands for final
score. The various entries should be
listed by number and the name of the
exhibitor kept off until after prizes are
awarded
The Package.
In Judging commercial box pack the
first consideration Is usually the pack
age. The box is looked over critically
Anything that might detract from a
good appearance is noted. Soil marks
use of weathered boards, bad or insight
ly knots. earelessness in mailing are
summed up and each one is marked off
in proportion to its value on the official
score card The next step is to study the
way the fruit is placed in the package
The bulge calls for 100 points and is the
most Important as upon it depends the
ease in which the fruit will carry to
market. This should be at least
one inch above the box at the center and
form a regular curve to the ends. If the
apples do not come above the box, all is
marked off, If only half enough, so points
are taken off, and so on. If one side is
higher than the other. or the curve is
not regular enough, points are taken off
t. indicate the defect This is matter
OF judgment for the Judges, but seldom
will two fail TO agree on any one point
| The height at ends comes next. The
| last row of apples at the end of the box
should project from one-fourth to three
eighths inches above the end, and strip
laid on top should run parallel to the
box. Ii these run too low or too high OF
are uneven they are marked off accord
4 ingly. The compactness Is tested by
placing the hands on the top of the fruit
and testing the give under pressure and
the side movement. The hands
are then run down at the end of the box
! to see If there is any end play.
IL Inc Hahus Can De iofceu GOWN TO the
bottom of the box all the points are
marked off. This denotes loose pack
/ age. which will be ruined in shipping to
| market.
| The alignment and attractiveness are
usually considered together. The rows
| should run straight and true in both
| directions. The attractiveness has to do
with the style of the pack, the arrange
ment Of the fruit on side or end to give
the neatest appearance. The wrapping
| papers are looked at, the way they are
put on, etc. The box liners are studied,
and points are deducted to represent the
detraction from perfect appearance.
The Fruit Itself.
1 When the packing has been examined