INTRODUCTION 
Standardization and inspection of fresh fruits and vegetables have made 
great strides in the past three decades. Prior to World War I, U. S. standards 
and Government inspection had not yet materialized and the stage was just 
being set for the unusual developments that were to follow. Today, most of 
nearly a million cars of fresh fruits and vegetables shipped annually by rail to 
city markets are bought and sold on the basis of official standards, mostly 
Federal, and more than half of them are inspected and certified for grade by 
Federal-State inspectors at shipping points. 
A considerable part of the shipments by motortruck are also inspected. 
Federal-State inspectors also inspect a large volume of raw products delivered 
- to processing plants for processing. In the receiving markets Federal inspectors 
also inspect annually in the neighborhood of 30,000 cars of these commodities, 
besides a large volume of supplies purchased by Government agencies. 
The packing of fruits and vegetables in accordance with the requirements of 
official standards is the first step required for orderly marketing and efficient 
-buying and selling (fig. 1). They furnish the yardstick for measuring varia- 
tions in quality, and their use has made possible a basis for satisfactory long- 
distance dealing. 
Figure 1.—The packing of fruits and vegetables in accordance with official standards, as 
done in this Florida citrus-packing house, is the first step required for orderly marketing 
and efficient buying and selling. 
