PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 115 



GRADING FRUIT. 



Mr. Righter was requested to address the convention. 



Mr. Righter: I do not know that I can say much on this subject of 

 grading fruit that will be new to you. 



Mr. Lelong: I will explain to Mr. Righter so that he can grasp the 

 idea in a moment. What is wanted throughout the State is a standard 

 grade for all dried fruit. Many growers grade their fruit, but not 

 according to standard grades. Much of this fruit is delivered according 

 to the grades made by the grower, and the consequence is that when the 

 packages are opened they are found not to contain the grades as required. 

 Fruit has been graded into three or four sizes without regard to the sizes 

 wanted. The same thing is continually in practice. There have been 

 a great many letters received from fruit-growers throughout the State, 

 asking that something be done to establish a standard grade of fruit. 



Mr. Righter: The matter of establishing grades was taken up a year 

 or two ago by the California Fruit Exchange and the Fruit Growers' 

 Union of Santa Clara Valley. All these organizations agreed to employ 

 the system of grading that was then agreed upon. Nearly two days 

 were spent before reaching an agreement. The grades thus adopted 

 were then published in several San Francisco papers. The commercial 

 terms, " Fancy," " Choice," " Standard," and " Prime " were chosen 

 because these words had long been used in that connection, and conse- 

 quently were commercial terms familiar to all. The aim was to give to 

 these words an entirely definite meaning. By this system the grades of 

 dried peaches are as follows, namely: "Fancy" includes all peaches 2 

 inches in diameter or larger, " Choice " includes all from If to 2 inches 

 in diameter, " Standard " includes all from 1^ to If inches in diameter, 

 and " Prime " includes all 1-J inches in diameter or smaller. All cut 

 fruit to be well bleached and contain neither slabs nor dark fruit. The 

 difference between the same grade of apricots and peaches was | of an 

 inch in diameter, the apricots being that much smaller. For example, 

 " Fancy " peaches were to be 2 inches in diameter or larger, while 

 " Fancy " apricots were to be only If inches in diameter or larger. 

 Aside from this difference of i of an inch in diameter, the corresponding 

 grades were the same. The grades of prunes are very nearly the same 

 as the French. Both in these and in the French grades there is not a 

 greater difference between consecutive grades than ten prunes. The 

 difference in the corresponding grade in this system is a half grade 

 better than in the French. For instance, the grade of 40-50 has between 

 forty and fifty prunes to the pound, while the corresponding French 

 grade has between forty-five and fifty-five to the pound. The grades of 

 prunes were not thought by these organizations to be susceptible of 

 improvement, hence they were not changed. I was asked, while in 

 Yuba City a few days ago, " What were those grades adopted by the 

 Exchanges and the Santa Clara Valley Fruit Growers' organizations?" 

 I replied by quoting those just mentioned. People tell me that this 

 dried fruit grading is not well understood. It was explained in at least 

 two San Francisco papers at the time these grades were adopted. I am 

 very strongly in favor of having everything graded. The best way to 

 grade peaches and apricots is to grade them on the trees; that is, to 

 thin enough to make large fruit. I believe that the people will soon get 



