Clear and definite standards are indispensable in the settlement of disputes 
between buyers and sellers. They also make easier the settlement of claims 
against transportation companies when it is necessary to establish the value 
of a product before a fair adjustment can be made. 
Standardized grades form the basis for market news prices and are necessary 
to permit an intelligent comparison of market prices. 
Separation of products into various grades furnishes a basis for growers to 
pool their products in cooperative marketing associations in order that all may 
share equitably in the season’s sales. 
More effective distribution of fruits and vegetables is permitted by separating 
them into various grades. Market demands vary in different localities and 
effective distribution consists in finding the market that will give the greatest 
return for the grade of product offered for sale. . 
The desirability of standard grades as a basis for advertising is plain in that 
advertising is without meaning and therefore useless unless backed up by 
products uniformly graded and packed. 
In the field of financing, either private or governmental, standardized grades 
are of first importance in establishing the value of products upon which loans 
may be made. 
Finally, trading on the basis of quality is the greatest stimulus to better 
methods of production and marketing because it helps growers and shippers 
to correct their mistakes. It assists them to obtain proper remuneration by 
requiring them to adopt more careful and effective methods of growing, pack- 
ing, and marketing their produce and to eliminate waste in handling. 
ARTIFICIAL ICE AND THE REFRIGERATOR CAR CREATE NEED 
FOR STANDARDS 
The need for standards and a system of inspection became apparent after 
the introduction of artificial ice and the invention of the refrigerator car, 
which were of such great significance to the fruit and vegetable industry. 
Naturally, these developments meant a great shift in producing areas and 
rapid expansion in production. Until about 1890, most of the fresh fruits and 
vegetables were produced on high-priced lands close to the cities and large 
centers of population; but with the development of long-distance shipping, 
made possible through artificial ice and the refrigerator car, production shifted 
from this high-priced land to cheaper new lands. Sandy lands in the Southern 
Coastal Plain became potential fruit- and vegetable-growing areas. It was 
about this time also that California and the Northwest began to enter the field 
as competitors of other production sections. California soon came to be known 
for its citrus and other fruits as well as for a large variety of fresh vegetables. 
Idaho went heavily into the production of potatoes, and Washington and 
Oregon engaged in the production of apples and pears. As time went on, other 
States became noted for the production of certain fruits and vegetables. 
The rapid shift in producing areas and increased production also brought 
about a great change in American dietary habits. Most mature persons can 
remember when fresh fruits and vegetables out of season were a rarity. 
This was when everyone looked forward to the time when melons, tomatoes, 
and other such products would be ripe. Such delicacies were enjoyed only 
during the season that each reached maturity in its own particular locality, and 
tin cans from the grocers’ shelves or jars from the home cellar furnished the 
chief supply of fruits and vegetables in winter. It is true that some fresh 
fruits and vegetables are still available only in season; but thanks to modern 
transportation systems and artificial ice, the seasons for the most perishable 
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