14 BULLETIN 1416, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
INSPECTION AT SHIPPING POINT 
Inspection service at shipping points is available on request in some 
parts of the apple region. The work is done usually under cooperative 
arrangements between Federal and State authorities. In Virginia 
the inspection facilities are used not only by the large shippers, but 
by miscellaneous growers organized into county rings for the purpose 
of providing for imspection and advertising. The average cost by 
this plan in Virginia in 1924 was about 4 cents a barrel, which paid 
expenses of inspection and of printing in trade papers the complete 
list of growers whose apples were being inspected. A small circular 
giving the same information and guaranteeing the dependability of 
these apples was also prepared and mailed to 6,000 dealers in cities 
of 5,000 population and over in all States east of the Mississippi 
Fic. 5.—Boxes, barrels, or crates are used in the orchard 
River. EKight thousand circular letters were sent out giving informa- 
tion about the progress of the State inspection service and standard- 
ized packing. In addition to this method of advertising, posters, 
stickers, and a cookbook were printed and distributed. 
GRADES AND SIZES 
Apples in standard packages are commonly sold under descriptive 
terms indicating variety and comparative general market qualifica- 
tions as expressed in grade and size. Many of the States as well as 
the United States Department of Agriculture have outlined definite — 
specifications which will be considered briefly in the section following. 
Much of the eastern market crop is put up under such terms as 
‘A216 inches minimum,” applying to the medium to large No. 1 
fruit, or the ‘‘B-214 inches minimum,” or No. 2, comprising market- 
able stock too small or too poor for the better grades. The letter 
of such terms refers to grade—that is, to color, shape, and freedom 
from blemishes. The figures specify the smallest size permitted in — 
the barrel. To allow for variations incident to proper grading and 
ecu) 
