The Delta independent., 1895-08-07
GRADING FRUIT,

GRADING FRUIT.
There is one thing that great many
Delta county fruit growers must learn,
and that ia that in order to secure prop
er prices for their fruit it must be prop
ty graded. II one has only enough Of
large, fine, strictly firstclass fruit in his
orchard to fill one box he should sort it
out and pack it by itself, then he will
get No. price for it and his No. 2
fruit will be 30 much evener in size that
it will command the top price for that
grade. We hear some Of you say that it
don't pay to do this when you have only
small amount Of No. fruit, it is bet
ter to let it all go in as No: than to
take the time necessary to sort it. Next
year, when my orchard has larger crop
will begin grading. Meanwhile the
tsn, twenty or fifty boxes Of fruit in your
this years crop are picked, the big ones
carefully placed in tho bottom and top
and the smaller ones placed in the mid
dle, your name and the variety stamped
on the box and it is consigned to the
dealer or commission house. When it
reaches the dealer the box covers are
pried up, the top layer taken out and the
small fruit brought into view. 1t is at
once graded No. 2, rs you probably ex-
pected it would be, and you are paid for
it on that basis. 1t actually took you as
long to pack it as it would if you had
graded it properly while you were at it.
But the loss does not end here. 1t goes
to the retailer plainly marked No. Q. He
opens the box and finds layer Of nice,
large fruit at the top 80 he scrapes off
the No. 2 and substitutes l. tells his
customer proudly, there's fine box Of
No. fruit from the High -muck-a muck
fruit farm, one Of the most noted in Del
ia county," and sale is made. 1t mat
ters not to the retailer that the small
fruit is in the middle of the box, or that
the High -muck-muck is not the most re-
nowned fruit farm in Delta county. He
has sold your No. 2 fruit for No. be-
cause you packed it in such manner rs
to give him the opportunity. Next year
your orchard is in good bearing, you
grade the fruit properly and find to your
surprise that the commission man does
not seem anxious to handle your fruit.
He has probably heard from -fifths
Of the retailers who had your fruit say
ing that their customers kicked 80 much
about that High. muck a muck fruit that
they don't want any Of it this year.
How different it is with the crop from
<lo II - SO Pa tho oil
sr opened box of it's No. fruit it was
alike all the way through. When he
tried box OF it's No.. 2 he found them
even in size but 80 much smaller that he
couldn't change the marks and he has to
sell it for what it actually is. The result
is that the consumer will demand fruit
from the All-of a-size farm.
Most of the poor grading in this coun-
ty is caused by desire to save expense
rather that any intent to deceive but it
is a mistaken idea Of economy.
A careful thinning Of the fruit while
it is small would save a great deal Of
work in grading and result in securing
much larger quantity Of No. l. This is
being shown very forcibly in the orchard
Of o. T. Standish, who this season thin
ned his plums to one in three inches,
peaches to one in four inches and apples
to one in six inches along the limbs. His
fruit grades No. as it comes from the
tree and produces almost as many pounds
to the tree as it would il it had all been
left on and half Of it been 30 small as
to grade No. .
Delta county's orchard interests are
too great to permit Of having her repu
tation as fruit growing section tarnish-
cd by carelessness in grading, and now
is the time to correct the fault. If every
grower in this county will carefully grade
his fruit it will make such reputation
for them that their product will crowd
the improperly graded stuff entirely out
Of the market. 1t is hard for the man
who has waited and struggled along for
four or five years to get his orchard in
bearing, to resist ths'temptation to swell
his receipts to the highest possible notch
but they must learn the lesson Of grad
ing and learn it thoroughly.
The people Of Delta want to look out
TOR fake advertising scheme called Arid
America. The Grand Junction papers
are roasting it thoroughly.
THE last issue Of the Fruit Grower has
q large amount Of valuable information
concerning the number Of trees planted
in Delta county last spring.