Handling, Distributing, and Sale of Fruit 229 



satisfied when he learns that his neighbor's fruit grades 

 higher. It is characteristic in the fruit industry that 

 each grower thinks he produces the best fruit in his com- 

 munity, and where it happens that he is paid for a larger 

 proportion of the lower grades than his neighbor, he may 

 either quit the association, or he may adopt better cultural 

 methods in order to improve the quality of his fruit. As 

 a matter of policy the books of an association should be 

 open to every member so that he may see whether he is 

 producing as large a proportion of high-grade fruit as the 

 other growers in the community. This knowledge leads 

 to a friendly rivalry among the members in producing 

 the largest proportion of the higher grades. 



There is considerable variation in the average quality of 

 different lots of fruit in the same grade, even under the 

 most rigid system of grading. There is a minimum stand- 

 ard in each grade below which the fruit may not fall, but 

 there is a marked variation in the fineness of texture or of 

 finish, in the color and general style of different lots of fruit 

 that may fall within a grade as established by the associa- 

 tion. These differences in texture and general style are 

 sometimes due to the soil or to other local conditions, the 

 fruit of the same variety on other soils or in other locations 

 in the same section showing characteristic qualities. On 

 the other hand, the grade of fruit grown under similar 

 conditions of soil and location depends largely on the skill 

 of the individual fruit-grower. The association can there- 

 fore utilize the differences in the grades of the fruit of the 

 members as a powerful educational factor in stimulating 

 better tillage, better pruning and thinning, and a better 

 cultural system in a community as a whole. 



