P.D. US 11 



from the Massachusetts Federation of Poultry Associations to consider and formu- 

 late plans for advertising local identified eggs. 



So far the department has looked upon its inspection work as primarily educa- 

 tional; taking back to the producer the results of examinations of the inspectors 

 and showing where and how the product can be improved in quality and pack. 



All products carrying the label have been inspected either during their special 

 season or in the case of eggs at intervals during the year. 



Eggs. — All producers were visited and their labelled eggs were inspected at the 

 farms either once or twice during the year. 



Asparagu.t. — Inspections were made regularly at least twice a week in the 

 wholesale market previous to any sales being made. A summary of facts brought 

 out by such inspections was shown to growers at their farms and at meetings 

 which resulted in an improved product coming on to the market. 



Strawberries. — Inspections were carried on at the time of loading the car. To 

 facilitate inspection in the future, the growers are requesting a loading platform 

 to be built by the railroad. 



At the end of the season a summary of all inspections was tabulated as follows: 



Number Times Mentioned 

 108 



Reasons Beloic Standards 

 Small and nubbins ...... 



Too ripe ........... 74 



No hulls 41 



Soft and rot .......... 16 



Dirt and sand .......... 15 



Green 13 



Overfaced .......... 11 



Number of shippers who passed all inspections 15 



Number of shippers found who passed all but one requirement of grade, 19 



Number of crates inspected and found up to grade . 408 



Tomatoes. — Tomatoes identified with the New England label were all packed 

 in one place and sold through one commission merchant and inspection could be 

 easily carried out. 



On several occasions inspections were made while growers were present so as to 

 show them methods of inspection and the results of examinations. Furthermore 

 the department purchased several crates of tomatoes after inspection and held 

 them for several days reinspecting them and showing the results to the growers. 



Turhei/s. — The Thanksgiving turkey season is short and intensive, but practi- 

 cally every farm authorized to use the label on their birds was visited and inspec- 

 tions duly made. 



Use of Grades by Consumers 



The use of grades has developed largely from demand in the wholesale trade. 

 When a grade is established it defines certain qualities or makes limitations of 

 c|uality so that buyers and .sellers far removed from each other can buy and sell 

 with mutual confidence. 



With regard to the consumer the situation is somewhat different. It is a ques- 

 tion as to how much detail consumers would be willing to learn regarding specifi- 

 cations of grades. Consumers are, however, interested to obtain values commen- 

 surate with the amount of money they spend. They are also interested in the 

 question of waste and it would seem worth while to build up some method of iden- 

 tification of our local farm products with the application of .some grade or .standard 

 mark on such products. 



The New England label program is headed in that directon, since on .several 

 commodities the grade name appearing on the package goes in its original form 

 to the consumer. Examples of these are eggs in cartons, celery in wrappers and 

 markers on asparagus. 



Apple M.\ggot EiMErgency Work 

 The apple industry of Massachusetts was faced with a serious emergency in 

 the spring of 1930, due to the agitation in Great Britain regarding the receipt in 

 that country of New England apples affected with apple maggot. As a result of 



