Annual Report -3- 



At that time U.S. Grades or Standards were created for 

 the first commodity - potatoes. This grade was merely a stand- 

 ard of measurement to accurately tell the quality and condition 

 of the shipment of potatoes. 



Since that early time hundreds of different grades for all 

 fresh commodities are now in existence. 



With a memoranda of agreement between Massachusetts and 

 the U.S. Department of Agriculture, this state has agreed to 

 have our own state inspectors trained hy the U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture. This includes sampling the product in a prescrihed 

 Federal uniform manner, keeping proper and accurate note sheets 

 to determine final grade of the product and writing the quality, 

 condition and final grade of the product in the proper termin- 

 ology. After this training all our 'State inspectors are issued 

 a U.S.D.A. license which is a requirement "before heing allowed 

 to inspect. 



In return Massachusetts is allowed to certify Massachusetts 

 farm products by our own trained licensed inspectors on official 

 United States Department of Agriculture certificates which are 

 prima facie evidence in all U.S. courts. 



This inspection service is offered "by the Division of 

 Markets to any financially interested party within the Common- 

 wealth for a fee basis and so the program is self-sustaining. 

 All fees are retained by the Commonwealth except for a very small 

 administrative cost retained by the U.S.D.A. 



Over many years the Federal-State Inspection Service in 

 Massachusetts, through strict adherence to grades and other essen- 

 tial data, has done much to upgrade the quality., condition and 



