176 Strawberry-Growing 



berries should be sorted out and sold in near markets; 

 under-ripe berries are shipped, and the off-grade stock 

 used for by-products. Usually, from five to ten per cent 

 of the berries as they come from the field are culls. 



Following are the grades of the Ozark Fruit Growers' 

 Association : 



" ' Fancy ' berries shall be superior in size and general 

 appearance and in addition possess the following char- 

 acteristics : 



1. "The berries must be at least two-thirds or three- 

 fourths colored. 



2. " They must be sound, dry and of good form. 



3. " The stem should be from one-half to three-fourths 

 inch in length. 



" * No. 1 ' berries are those not up to the standard of 

 Fancy, yet possessing the common characteristics re- 

 quired for Fancy in rule 2 above ; also in rules 1 and 3, 

 but perhaps in a less marked degree. 



"All berries not passing either of the above grades 

 shall be rejected and will revert to the owner for disposal 

 as he may direct.'* 



Shipping Associations in the Pacific Northwest allow 

 nothing smaller than five by five berries to go into the 

 Extra Fancy or Fancy grades. 



Some years ago, Florida and South Carolina growers 

 used a grading machine consisting of an endless apron 

 as wide as a quart box, revolving on wooden rollers. 

 Machine grading now has been discarded. One of the 

 simplest methods of hand grading is to spread a box of 

 berries upon a sheet of manila paper about two feet 

 square. It requires a knack to spread out the berries at 

 one motion, so that they will not touch each other. The 

 fancy berries are then picked out and put into one box, 



