District of Columbia Code
Subchapter I - Weights and Measures Generally
§ 37–201.15. Standard containers for sale of fruits, vegetables, and other dry commodities; no sales except in standard containers or by weight or count

(a) Standard containers for the sale of fruits, vegetables, and other dry commodities in the District of Columbia shall be as follows:
(1) Standard barrel for fruits, vegetables, and other dry commodities other than cranberries, shall be of the following dimensions when measured without distention of its parts: Length of stave, twenty-eight and one-half inches; diameter of heads, seventeen and one-eighth inches; distance between heads, 26 inches; circumference of bulge, 64 inches, outside measurement; and the thickness of staves not greater than four-tenths of an inch; provided, that any barrel of a different form having a capacity of 7,056 cubic inches shall be a standard barrel. The standard barrel for cranberries shall be of the following dimensions when measured without distention of its parts: length of staves, twenty-eight and one-half inches; diameter of head, sixteen and one-fourth inches; distance between heads, twenty-five and one-fourth inches; circumference of bulge, fifty-eight and one-half inches, outside measurement; and the thickness of staves not greater than four-tenths of an inch. It shall be unlawful to sell, offer, or expose for sale in the District of Columbia a barrel containing fruits or vegetables or any other dry commodity of less capacity than the standard barrels defined in this section, or subdivisions thereof known as the 3rd, half, and three-quarter barrel.
(2)(A) Standards for climax baskets for grapes and other fruits and vegetables shall be the 2-quart basket, 4-quart basket, and 12-quart basket, respectively.
(B) The standard 2-quart climax basket shall be of the following dimensions: length of bottom piece, nine and one-half inches; width of bottom piece, three and one-half inches; thickness of bottom piece, three-eighths of an inch; height of basket, three and seven-eighths inches, outside measurement; top of basket, length 11 inches and width 5 inches, outside measurement. Basket to have a cover 5 by 11 inches, when a cover is used.
(C) The standard 4-quart climax basket shall be of the following dimensions: length of bottom piece, 12 inches; width of bottom piece, four and one-half inches; thickness of bottom piece, three-eighths of an inch; height of basket, four and eleven-sixteenths inches, outside measurement; top of basket, length 14 inches; width six and one-fourth inches, outside measurement. Basket to have cover six and one-fourth inches by 14 inches, when cover is used.
(D) The standard 12-quart climax basket shall be of the following dimensions: length of bottom piece, 16 inches; width of bottom piece, six and one-half inches; thickness of bottom piece, seven-sixteenths of an inch; height of basket, seven and one-sixteenth inches, outside measurement; top of basket, length 19 inches, width 9 inches, outside measurement. Basket to have cover 9 inches by 19 inches, when cover is used.
(3) The 6-basket carrier crate for fruits and vegetables shall contain 6 4-quart baskets, each basket having a capacity of two hundred and sixty-eight and eight-tenths cubic inches.
(4) The 4-basket flat crate for fruits and vegetables shall contain 4 3-quart baskets, each basket having a capacity of two hundred and one and six-tenths cubic inches.
(5) The standard box, basket, or other container for berries, cherries, shelled peas, shelled beans, and other fruits and vegetables of similar size shall be of the following capacities standard dry measure: One-half pint, pint, and quart. The one-half pint shall contain sixteen and eight-tenths cubic inches; the pint shall contain thirty-three and six-tenths cubic inches; the quart shall contain sixty-seven and two-tenths cubic inches.
(6)(A) Standard lug boxes for fruits and vegetables shall be the one-half bushel box and the 1-bushel box.
(B) The one-half bushel lug box shall be of the following inside dimensions: length, 17 inches; width, ten and five-tenths inches; depth, 6 inches.
(C) The 1-bushel lug box shall be of the following inside dimensions: length, twenty and three-fourths inches; width, 13 inches; depth, 8 inches; and no lug box of other than the foregoing dimensions shall be used in the District of Columbia.
(7)(A) The standard hampers for fruits and vegetables shall be the 1-peck hamper, one-half bushel-hamper, 1-bushel hamper, and one and one-half-bushel hamper.
(B) The 1-peck hamper shall contain five hundred and thirty-seven and six-tenths cubic inches; the one-half-bushel hamper shall contain one thousand and seventy-five and twenty-one one-hundredths cubic inches. The 1-bushel hamper shall contain two thousand one hundred and fifty and forty-two one-hundredths cubic inches, and the one and one-half-bushel hamper shall contain three thousand two hundred and twenty-five and sixty-three one-hundredths cubic inches.
(8)(A) The standard round-stave baskets for fruits and vegetables shall be the one-half-bushel basket, 1-bushel basket, one and one-half-bushel basket, and 2-bushel basket.
(B) The one-half-bushel basket shall contain one thousand and seventy-five and twenty-one one-hundredths cubic inches. The 1-bushel basket shall contain two thousand one hundred and fifty and forty-two one-hundredths cubic inches. The one and one-half-bushel basket shall contain three thousand two hundred and twenty-five and sixty-three one-hundredths cubic inches, and the 2-bushel basket shall contain four thousand three hundred and eighty-four one-hundredths cubic inches.
(9) The standard apple box shall contain two thousand one hundred and seventy-three and five-tenths cubic inches and be of the following inside dimensions: length, 18 inches; width, eleven and one-half inches; depth, ten and one-half inches.
(10) The standard pear box shall be of the following inside dimensions: length, 18 inches; width, eleven and one-half inches; depth, eight and one-half inches.
(11) The standard onion crate shall be of the following inside dimensions: length, nineteen and five-eighths inches; width, eleven and three-sixteenths inches; depth, nine and thirteen-sixteenths inches.
(b) No person shall sell, offer, or expose for sale in the District of Columbia any fruits, vegetables, grain, or similar commodities in any manner except in the standard containers herein prescribed or by weight or numerical count; and no person shall sell, offer, or expose for sale, except by weight or numerical count, in the District of Columbia any commodity in any container herein prescribed which does not contain, at the time of such offer, exposure, or sale, the full capacity of such commodity compactly filled; provided, that fresh beets, onions, turnips, rhubarb, and other similar vegetables, usually and customarily sold by the bunch, may be sold by the bunch.
(c) All kale, spinach, and other similar leaf vegetables shall be sold at retail by net weight.
(Mar. 3, 1921, 41 Stat. 1221, ch. 118, § 15.)
1981 Ed., § 10-116.
1973 Ed., § 10-115.