standards for peaches and potatoes. The designation “U. S. Extra No. 1” 
is applied to this quality. 
It has also been necessary to provide an intermediate grade between U. S. 
No. 1 and U. S. No. 2 in the standards for a number of products in order to 
provide a designation for quality not up to the U. S. No. 1 standard, but 
noticeably superior to the U.S. No. 2 quality. The terms “U. S. @ommercal: 
and “U. S. Combination” were adopted to describe this quality. Minimum 
requirements for a U. S. Commercial grade are slightly lower for some factors 
than those for U. S. No. 1. U.S. Combination denotes a grade made up of a 
certain percentage of specimens meeting the requirements of U. S. No. 1 and 
U.S. No. 2 grades. These grades are often used to pack a crop which is below 
average in quality owing to abnormal growing conditions, or they are used as 
a grade designation for a lot packed to meet a higher grade but which fails 
in some respects. 
The U. S. No. 3 grade designation is ee only in the standards for citrus 
fruit, a highly specialized product which lends itself to separations into many 
different classifications. 
In developing the names and number of grades used for U. S. standards 
for fruits and vegetables, each product has been considered separately, and the 
aim has been to formulate standards, upon the basis of trade practices, that will 
fulfill the needs of each particular industry. Some criticism has been made of 
the system of grade names, in that such terms as “U. S. Fancy” or “U. S. 
Extra No. 1” are misleading and represent hidden grades. Such criticism, 
however, has usually come from persons not using the standards, rather than 
from growers, shippers, and receivers whom the standards are intended 
primarily to benefit. Members of the produce industry are generally well 
acquainted with requirements of standards and are not usually confused by 
grade names which digress slightly from the straight numerical system. In 
fact, the use of terms other than numerical in U. S. standards has been included 
in practically all instances at the request of the industry. 
REQUIREMENTS OF STANDARDS REPRESENT TRADE DEMANDS 
Contrary to the belief of some persons that requirements of grades in U. S. 
standards represent the theories of inexperienced departmental employees, grade 
requirements for the most part actually represent the ideas of members of the 
particular industry concerned. The small staff of technical employees, who 
finally put the standards into words, are really only the referees. Whenever 
demands for a set of standards are considered sufficient to warrant going ahead 
with their development, a member of the technical staff is assigned to the field 
to make the necessary investigations. Representative growers and shippers in 
all of the principal producing sections are visited and their ideas solicited. 
Often, meetings of representatives of the industry are held in the various 
producing sections. Grading and packing operations are observed and the 
principal defects of the commodity are noted for each growing region. Re- 
ceivers in the markets are also consulted as to their ideas of grade require- 
ments. Often it is necessary to consult fruit and vegetable specialists and 
pathologists at universities and colleges of agriculture to obtain details concern- 
ing certain diseases and insect injuries that affect a particular crop. 
Information is gladly received from all sources that may be able to offer some- 
thing of value in setting up workable grade requirements. Naturally, there 
are many differences of opinion to iron out, and this is where the field investi- 
gator plays his part as the referee. When he feels that he has obtained the 
necessary information to formulate a set of standards, he draws up the original 
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