No. 123.] REPORT OF COMMISSIONER. 23 



Grades and Standards. 



There are two elements or factors entering into the cost of 

 any commodity, — quality and quantity. Upon them depends 

 the making of the price, and the lack of one of these elements 

 prevents the determination of a fair buying or selling price. 

 One of these elements has a direct relation to grading, and the 

 other to standard containers. The grading of products tends 

 to eliminate unnecessary costs of handling and establish a 

 definite basis upon which intelligent dealings may be had, — 

 advantages which should be recognized by every one. Standard 

 grading of Massachusetts farm products has not progressed 

 beyond the grading of apples, although potatoes and onions 

 as well as other agricultural commodities are under consider- 

 ation. 



The United States Bureau of Markets has established grades 

 for certain of these commodities, among them being onions and 

 potatoes. The general adoption of standard potato grades 

 during the late war period met with general favor among 

 growers and buyers. It is our belief that grades for these 

 commodities should be established in Massachusetts. Such 

 grades should conform as closely as possible to those of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture. 



The multitude of types of containers, the capacity of w^hich 

 is often unknown to the buyer or seller, offers an example of 

 striking contrast to other classes of trade wherein there is a 

 fixed standard upon which business can be intelligently trans- 

 acted. We have on our produce market in Boston an example 

 of the confusion caused by the use of containers of different 

 sizes, namely, the produce boxes used for the sale of fruits and 

 vegetables at wholesale. It is our belief that action should be 

 taken by the 1921 Legislature to establish a standard bushel 

 box for this use. 



Apple-Grading Law. 

 Mr. Lincoln once said, " It is not so important to know 

 where we are as it is to know in which direction we are mov- 

 ing." This may well be applied to the administration of the 

 apple-grading law'. 



