THE APPLE IN' MASSACHUSETTS 



CHART 11. Production of Priucipal Varieties, 1924. 



101 



Thousands of Bushels Pcrcent of Total 

 900 r M 



Baldwin fflNT05H Gbavenjtein Vulthy Otmebs-Eably Othebs-Late 



Only 209 growers reported the sale of more tlian two grades, wliile 23 report- 

 ed as many as four or more grades. 



Massachusetts apples are sold in three graded and three ungraded classes. 

 The graded classes are Fancy, A and B. Tlie ungraded include one class 

 from which legal grades have been removed; one from which culls and ciders 

 only have been removed; and one which includes all apples as they come from 

 the tree. The usual grades for the growers reporting three grades are A, B 

 and culls or ungraded. Less than 1 per cent of the growers make a practice 

 of putting up a Fancy grade. There is a widespread belief that too close 

 grading is not profitable, and prices received offer some justification for this 

 belief. 



The percentage of each grade varies with the variety.* The following table 

 shows the distribution into market classes of the crop of 1924. It will be 

 noted that in every case the highest proportion of apples was sold as "un- 

 graded, culls and ciders out", and that 65 per cent of all apples were sold 

 ungraded. Sixty-tliree per cent of all graded fruit was found to be in A 

 grade. 



By varieties, it is of interest that Delicious apples show the highest per- 

 centage of Fancy, more than 10 per cent being reported in this class, in con- 

 trast with less than 3 per cent for all varieties. This is to be accounted for 

 by the fact that the market demand for this variety is almost entirely for the 

 better grades. Northern Spy shows a higher proportion of A grade than any 

 other variety, 36 per cent, and tlie Mcintosh stands second with 30 per cent 

 in this grade. Mcintosh likewise has the highest percentage of graded fruit. 

 Only 85 per cent of the Baldwin crop was reported graded. This variety is 

 grown largely in small orchards, where comparatively little grading is done. 



* Summer varieties include Duchess. Transparent, Williams, Astrachan, etc. 

 Fall varieties include Mcintosh. Wealthy, Gravenstein. 

 Winter varieties include Baldwin, Northern Spy, Delicious, Wagener, Greening, etc. 



