Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1912-06-28
RADICAL CHANGES
ADVOCATED BY DUMAS
Suggestions of Prominent Horticul-
turist of This City Accepted by
National Government


ern apples, according to the plans of
j. l.. Dumas, a prominent educator
and horticulturist of Pullman, who
formerly owned the Pomona or
chard at Dayton.
AIR. Dumas, who is one of the sew
EN- leading horticulturists appointed
by the American Pathological soci-
ETY. to revise the list and rating of
comm ercial apples for the United
States and Canada, has submitted
plans to the society and to the de-
partment of pomology at Washing
ton, d. c., which have been accept
ed by the government as basis for
revision and copies of which have
been sent to all the experiment sta
lions and leading fruit dealers in
the country.
The object of the movement is to
give the Northwest apples just rat
ing in the general market which they
have not heretofore had Previously
the members of the United States
Pathological society have been large
ly Eastern growers and the rating
given by them to Western apples has
been decidedly unfair Hereafter
quality for dessert will count so per
cent; cooking quality rs per cent,
and market qualities 25 per cent,
while before the flavor received only
the same percentage as the cooking
and marketing qualities.
Under the old rating the Ben
Davis apple, although manifestly in
ferior, was given as high a grade as
the Jonathan. With the new system
IaQot only the Jonathan but the Rome
Beauty, Winesap and Mcintosh Red,
three of the leading var cites In the
Northwest, Will be given a much
higher commercial rating. The new
rating has been accepted by the Brit
ish Columbia provincial board of
horticulture and is likely to go into
effect before the big apple shows this
fall.
Another change contemplated by
the committee of which Mr.. Dumas
Is member is a reduction of the
list of commercial apples from 319
varieties to only so. In speaking of
the present list of 319 varieties Mr..
Dumas said
"The large number of different
apples accepted by horticulturists as
commercial varieties is so confusing
as to be practically valueless. Now
what We propose to do is to cut down
this number to so standard varieties,
eliminating all the names retained
merely for sentiment
I'VE further propose to educate
the consumer by placing in every box
of apples complete list of CONNER
cial varieties with their rating and
value for different uses which will
give to the purchaser an idea of what
he is buying. This information
could be placed in every box at Ito
of a cent per box and should bear the
government seal"
The next important change to be
made by this plan Is change In the
standard size. Heretofore the rules
governing size have been laid down
by the International Shippers asso-
citation, the minimum size being 2h
inches in diameter, regardless of va
riety In the future the size shall be
taken as the number OF apples per
box and the minimum will vary with
the variety
This is the first time any concert
ed action has been taken by the deal
ers, growers and expert horticultur-
lists to revise the present rating, and
hundreds Of copies of the new cata-
logues have been sent by the govern
ment to all the leading fruit dealers
and growers In the United States and
Canada Besides the new CONNER
cial rating, each list includes a de-
tailed description of the different
varieties and the districts In which
they are best grown.
The list of commercial varieties is
Interesting from the fact that the
Spokane Beauty and the Palouse APP
Pile two popular Washington apples,
have been omitted Only the recog-
nized standard varieties are includ-
ed. They are:
Yellow Newtons. Winesaps, North
ern Spy Ben Davis, Gano, Arkansas,
York Imperial, Rome Beauty, Wag-
ener, Terry Tompkins King, Shock
ley. Hibernal Baldwin. Missouri,
Continued on last page)