74 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



and the remainder thirds. Orchard fruit is not expected to be so 

 generally fine, yet good examples of the just mentioned varieties, and 

 others such as ' Vicar of Winkfield,' ' Williams' Bon Chretien,' ' Autumn 

 Bergamot,' ' Beurre Clairgeau,' 1 Jargonelle,' ' Bishop's Thumb,' 

 ' Uvedale's St. Germain,' and ' Catillac ' (the two last named being 

 stewing pears) are often produced in orchards, and may properly be 

 graded into about 25 per cent, first grade, 25-30 per cent, second grade, 

 and the remainder third and fourth grades. 



Cherries should receive attention in grading. Fine samples 

 should be separated from those which are second and third grades, and 

 the second being separated from the third. The colours white, red, 

 and black should, of course, be kept distinct. 



APPLES. 



Although the grading of Apples, as well as of other fruits, has 

 long been practised by a few of the advanced cultivators, yet the 

 system has only been widely extended in comparatively recent years, 

 and it still is not in universal practice unless we take the Order of 

 1918 as having established it in this country. Grading is, I believe, 

 an interesting, instructive, and profitable operation, because by its 

 means, the grower discovers the true quality of his crops of fruit 

 annually, if he keep correct records of the weight, grade, and value 

 received. 



Whether the grading be better done by the use of rings of various 

 sizes, or by weighing, is a matter deserving careful consideration, 

 especially where many tons of apples have to be handled, and to test 

 every fruit by means of a ring would be a serious matter. 



In August 1914 I saw an apple-grading machine in operation on 

 the premises of the Eardiston Farming Company, Tenbury, and it 

 required five or six men and women to feed it with ungraded apples and 

 to take away and pack the graded fruit. In the not very distant future, 

 perhaps, depots will be established in apple-growing districts for 

 grading the apples by machinery at a comparatively small charge for 

 the convenience of those who have little time and labour for grading. 



Dessert Apples collectively are medium in size when compared 

 with culinary apples ; and a really large dessert apple is not desirable. 

 Consequently true dessert apples should not be too large to pass through 

 a three-inch ring ; but if they are too large they may be classed as 

 special grade. If they pass through a 3-inch, but not through a 

 2 Hnch ring, they may be classed as first grade. If through a 2 j-inch 

 ring, but not through a 2-inch ring, they will be second grade. Those 

 which pass through a 2-inch ring may be classed as third grade. But 

 these rules are rather arbitrary, because they would condemn nearly 

 all 1 Keddleston Pippins ' to the third grade, and a large proportion 

 of ' Cox's Orange ' to the second grade, and 1 Irish Peach ' would fare 

 no better. 



Culinary Apples have a wide range in size, from the soft-fleshed 



