88 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Grades have been established for the more important products and 

 this has had a direct influence on the betterment of market conditions. 

 In the early days of the inspection service it was evident that grades 

 were needed. Not only was there a need for grades to be used as a basis 

 for making the inspection but there was a nation wide demand on the part 

 of growers, shippers and dealers for definite grades — a common language 

 to provide the basis for more intelligent marketing and a better under- 

 standing as to the meaning of terms used in trading. Unjustifiable re- 

 jections of shipments on account of a decline in the market is the ship- 

 per's nightmare just as enforced acceptance of poorly graded products 

 is the bugbear of the receiver. The answer to the whole problem is 

 definite practical grades. When shippers furnish products of standard 

 quahty and receivers are willing to enter into contracts on that basis the 

 business of marketing farm products will have reached the goal towards 

 which it is marching. 



In 1915 the Bureau of Markets inaugurated a telegraphic market news 

 service on fruits and vegetables. It was soon realized that it was very 

 diflBcult to report market prices unless they are based on definite stand- 

 ards of quahty. Potatoes may be $3.00 a hundred in N. Y., S2.00 in 

 Chicago and $2.50 in Pittsburgh but unless the grade of these potatoes 

 is known there is no means of determining which is the better market. 

 Thus potatoes received the first consideration bj^ the investigators of the 

 Department in the matter of marketing potatoes by grade and by the 

 time the U. S. entered the world war the Department was in position 

 to make recommendations as to what the grades should be. Shortly 

 thereafter the Department of Agriculture and the Food administration 

 jointly recommended the U. S. Grades, the use of which, on Jan. 31st, 1918, 

 became compulsory as far as the licensees of the latter organization was con- 

 cerned. It was about this time that the Food Products Inspection 

 Service was organized. The potatoe grades soon became prominent 

 and enabled the inspectors to determine accurately what shipment con- 

 formed to the prescribed standards and what did not. The reports 

 furnished a basis for settlement of disputes between shippers and re- 

 ceivers and enabled the U. S. Food Administration to make proper 

 adjustments in cases of disputes over quality or condition. 



The U. S. Potato Grades became so well estabhshed during the war 

 that they were used voluntarily by the Trade thereafter. Today the 

 grades are the oflficial standard in nine states which represent 25% of 

 the total production of the country and in addition are being generally 

 used in practically every other important producing section. 



Grades have also been recommended for Bermuda Onions, Northern 

 Grown Onions and Sweet Potatoes. Tentative grades have been pre- 

 pared for tomatoes, asparagus, strawberries, cabbage, head lettuce, 

 celery, cucumbers, peaches and barreled apples. When one considers 

 the chaotic condition which prevailed prior to the inauguration of the 

 Inspection Service there is certainly room for encouragement in review- 

 ing the work of the past four years. It would not have been possible 

 to develop the inspection service to a high degree of efficiency without 

 definite grades — and on the other hand the inspection service has helped 

 to determine the practicability of grades. Grades and inspection are 

 inseparable, the two go hand in hand and each is dependent upon the 

 other. 



