Newark post., 1920-08-25
FRUIT AND VECE-
TABLE SHIPPERS MUST
MARK CONTAINERS
Federal Inspectors to Examine
Interstate Shipments to
Insure Action

Fruits and vegetables in pack
age form when shipped into inter-
state commerce should bear a
plain and conspicous statement of
the quantity of the contents in
each package, according to a
statement made by officials of the
Bureau of Chemistry, United
States Department of Agriculture,
who are charged with the enforce
ment of the Federal food and
drugs act. Instructions have been
issued showing how various fruits
and vegetables in different styles
of packages may be marked in
order to comply fully with the net
weight amendment to the law,
also showing what shipments of
vegetables as ordinarily marketed
are exempt from the net weight
provisions. These instructions
have been distributed widely
among fruit and vegetable grow
ers and shippers.
The bulk of the fruits and
vegetables not shipped into inter-
state commerce are marked in &C
cordance with the law, say off,
cials, but some shippers have
overlooked or are disregarding
this provision of the law. Since
this amendment has been In effect
for six years and every opportun-
ity has been given to the trade to
get in line with it's provisions, it
is the opinion of the officials that
there is now no excuse for any
shipper failing to make the guam
tity of the contents on packages
of fruits and vegetables shipped
within the jurisdiction of the law.
Kinds of Markings Required
Fruits and vegetables in bas-
kets, hampers, drums, cartons,
boxes, crates, and barrels may in
general be marked by either
weight or dry measure, or when
packed in barrels may be marked
in terms of the United States
standard barrel and its subdivi-
sions of third, half, or three
quarters. Statements of dry meas
ure should be in terms of the
United States standard bushel
and it's customary subdivisions of
half-bushel, pecks, quarts, pints,
or half-pints. If the quantity OF
the contents be stated by weight
or measure it should be marked in
terms of the largest unit contain
ed in the package, except that IN
the case of an article with respect
to which there exists dehnlte
trade custom for marking the
quantity of the article in terms OF
fractional parts of larger units, 1t
NAV be so marked in accordance
with the custom. For example, II
the package contains a pound, or
hounds, and fraction of a pound,
the contents should be expressed
in terms of pounds and fractions
thereof, or of pounds and ounces
and not merely in ounces, unless
there is a definite trade custom to
the contrary.
Crates or "fats" containing
small open containers of aprlcots'
berries, currants, cherries, grapes,
peaches, plums, prunes, peppers,
tomatoes, and the like, should be
NAKED on the outside of the crate
or "fat" with the number OF
small containers and the quantity
of the contents of each. When the
crates are so marked it is not
necessary to mark the quantity OF
contents on the small open con-
tainers within the crates, but II
the quantity of contents is marked
on the small open containers the
marking must be correct.
Certain Shipments Exempt for
the Present
It is not necessary for the pres
ent and until further notice to
mark the quantity of contents on
the following fruits and vegeta
bles when marketed in the manner
indicated: Asparagus in boxes
and cases; beets with tops, bunch
ed, in drums and hampers; cab
bage in crates; cantaloupes and
casabas in crates and baskets !;
carrots with tops, punched, in
drums and hampers; caulifioWer
in crates and hampers; celery IN
boxes and crates; eggplant COM
monty wrapped in paper and
packed in crates; kale in barrels,
baskets, and hampers; lettuce in
o,oI h m