Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-09-01

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Helps for Farmers:
No one will deny think. that fruit
shows are a good thing. and in many
ways do much to stimulate an interest
in production. They are land marks, as
it were, to gauge the progress of an ever
increasing industry. People get together
and by seeing and comparing what their
neighbors have done are. induced to put
forth greater effort and skill to better
their own product. Methods OF -propaga-
ton. culture, pruning. ETC., are talked
over; thus knowledge is disseminated
and stimulus offered. whereby. cemmu-
mites or districts are built up. Liter
ally, places are known by their, fruit
shows. s--.-l- tt.s,15sfs.2
To attract exhibits TO fruit shows,
premiums or prizes are awarded for
those which excel in certain varieties or
packs. Where entries are numerous,
judges are called IN to pass on the merits
of the fruit and award the prize. This
calls for a highly specialized knowledge.
and if the results are TO be fair pains
taking attention to the details In ex-
aiming the fruit.
Usually the classes in which fruit may
be exhibited are numerous, and the man
agement takes special pains to instruct
each exhibitor just what to include in
each However, in very few cases is In
struetion given as to the best method of
collecting the fruit, grading and placing
in the package to secure the best results.
To be specific, many of the Eastern
80 40 rl
box for apples. Many growers do not
understand how to grade and pack fruit
in these boxes, and 1t would seem that
with the rules and regulations for the
fruit show should go specific directions
for putting UP the pack.
During the past year one of the Inn
portant features of Eastern fruit shows
was the commercial box pack Now the
box pack calls for something more than
| good fruit. It must be so arranged as to
attract the buying public. and at the same
time be light and convenient. The fruit
| is laid In by hand. one piece at a time.
and placed In straight rsws to appeal to
the eye Of the buyer. Every apple ID
wrapped in paper, which serves as q
cushion to deaden jars and keep decay
from spreading from one to another
| The top and bottom of the box is made
of thin boards so they will give and a
spring of one-half inch is given to take
UP slack in shrinkage and keep the ap-
Piles Arm. The apples IN each box are
counted so the buyers know just how
many they are getting. The box itself Is
neat and clean and is lined with paper
and represents the maximum care In
preparation All of these points are Just
as important in commercial pack as
to have good fruit inside the box. The
judges must consider these points, and
often good fruit fails to win simply be-
cause it is not arranged In cenformance
with the best known standards demanded
by the large markets. z.eg a. p ess.ae
Judging the Fruit.
The judges are usually men with more
or less technical training. and are repre-
sentatives of Agricultural Colleges, Gov
eminent Service. or some fruit handling
organization They, ordinarily, are men
of wide experience and familiar with a
great variety of conditions. Often how
ever. they are more or less inexperienced
in the technique of production, especially
in details gained by their own labor So
much is this true, that we, all uncon-
sciously. have developed a system of
judging fruit at shows, without any re-
gard to the facts, whether or not certain
varieties are desirable from a CONNER
cial standpoint Often premiums are
awarded to fruits. that, while desirable
T.
sons of climate or soil conditions.
The Score Gard.
OF late years, fruit shows have become
so numerous. and the question of Judging
so important, that there has gradually
evolved a system of scoring, based upon
percentage Of a perfect pack. With
the commercial box, the idea of perfec-
ton, or 1000. is largely q compodium of
points for which buyers on the general
market are willing to pay the highest
prices. This is not q theoretical condi-
ton but is based on the dollars and
100000 or 100000 boxes annually.
For the score card for the fruit itself,
not associated with market question,
the standard Of perfect represents more
an ideal in the minds. OF the Judges to
which the variety is supposed to con-
form. This call for a wide knowledge of
varieties under different conditions, be-
cause each fruit section may, and usu-
ally does, perfect the same variety In a
little different way. gsss 90
The management of each fruit show
should work out a score card for each
grade OF fruit. The various items that
enter into commercial pack should be
given weight according to its relative
Importance. the sum-tstal representing
a perfect pack or 10oes. A copy Of this
should be forwarded to each prospective
exhibitor. together with full instructions.
as to the latest and best method Of put
ting UP such a pack. The producer then
will know wherein he is weak. and how
to conform to the demands Of the mar
ket
As the commercial box pack is the one
that seems to be attracting the most at
tention just now. and alse the pack re-
curing the most skill to perfect, let us
follow this little further and see Just
how the judges handle It. The new
England Fruit Show held in Boston last