Describln^ Fruit Quality - Horticultural writers are frequently at a 

 loss for words vriilch vail adequately describe a particular fruit and 

 distinguish it from others vmich are similar. The follovdng example 

 along that line is in the "literary gem" class. In Hedrick's "Pears 

 of New York" there appears this statement about the Le Conte variety 

 -"The fruits are rather poorer in quality than those of Kieffer, if 

 that be possible for an edible fruit," Having recently noted the Le 

 Conte variety listed in a nursery catalogue this description takes on 

 added meaning. Anyone #10 has tried to eat a Kieffer pear, uncooked, 

 will appreciate the dubious quality of the Le Conte, In a few well- 

 chosen v;ords the author doles out faint praise, to put it mildly, 



■Jf- -Ji- % % % -K- J> ■«• ^ % ■!;- -!!■ ■«■ 



YJHEN DOES UPGRADPIG FRUIT PAY? 



A common belief is that upgrading fruit is a sure v/ay to greater net profits, 

 Vlhat are the conditions necessary to make this so? Can grades of fruit be improved 

 vrithout increased costs? Can previous production be maintaned with upgrading? Yfill 

 the improved fruit be so]d at a higher price? 



These questions indicate that many combinations of grades, production, cost 

 and prices exist on particular farms. On farms v;here improved management is possible^ 

 apples may be upgraded with no decrease in production and with no increase in produc- 

 tion cost. On other farms, production may be slightly reduced by more pruning, thin- 

 ning and other practices to impro/e color and size of apples. For a group of these 

 famis, costs may be increased by extra labor and materials to upgrade apples. On 

 some farms total expenses to harvest virill not change with upgrading even where a 

 slight decrease in production takes place. 



In a few instances, producers upgrading their apples may receive higher prices 

 for all grades than formerly. They are good salesmen as veil as good growers. Gen- 

 erally, all a producer can expect from upgrading in a competitive market to offset 

 possible increases in cost and/or decreases in production are the existing price dif- 

 ferentials betvreen grades # 



Income Effects of Upgrading Apples In A Particular Orchard 



A one-man orchard with 107^ trees on 35 acres serves as an example, A review 

 of' past years' production and income records is a good starting point. Last year, 

 10,200 bushels of apples from this orchard vrere sold at whofesale. Apples graded lh% 

 U, S. Extra Fancy, 50^ U, S, Fancy, 21% U, S, No. 1, and 9% U, S, Utility. Itet in- 

 come was S2U88, 



Detailed projections of upgrading possibilities can be m3.de by applying known 

 technology to this farm, The effect of a change in farm operation can be shovm in a 

 revised operating statement. Upgrading of fruit may or may not change production,* 

 it does change particular items of receipts and expenses. Net income becomes the 

 common denominator of these varied conditions. 



In the accompanying table, net farm income from nine different combinations of 

 production, price and cost are calculated for this one-man orchard. Apples are im- 

 proved by the same upgrading in all situations over the grades of the past year, Up- 

 graded apples include 2S% Extra Fancy, 60% U, S* Fancy, 10/^ U. S, No. 1 and ^% U, S, 

 Utility, 



