The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1921-12-23
APPLE MEN TO
Be ALLOWED TO
LOWER GRADES
STATE CONFERENCE DECIDES
ON SLIGHTLY LESS DRASTIC
RULES FOR THREE CLASSES
OF FRUIT.

Changes in the grading rules on
apples resulting in a slight lowering
of the standard were approved by the
state grade and pack conference in
its meeting Thursday at Spokane.
he changes in the grades were made
upon the recommendation of a vol
unteer special committee and were
passed almost without dissent, in
contrast with the battles that had
been waged on the floor in previous
years.
The new rules were regarded as a
victory for the Yakima delegation. 4
committee of three Yakima delegates,
three from Wenatchee and one each
from Spokane and Walla Walla ha 1
been working on the proposed chang
es throughout the horticultural con-
vention and the introduction of the
recommendations caused surprise.
Charles l.. Robinson, state supervisor
of horticulture, said the recommenda-
tions Of the conference will be accept
ed by the state department.
The recommendation follows:
Extra fancy or first grade apples
are defined as mature, clean, smooth,
hand-picked, well-formed apples only;
free from all insect pests, diseases,
bruises and holes, spray burns, limb
rub, visible water core, skin pune
lures or skin broken at the stem, and
shall be free from russeting except
that russeting within the basin of the
stem shall be permitted.
Fancy or second grade apples are
defined as apples complying with the
standard of extra fancy grade except
that leaf rubs, slight scratches an
russeting be permitted up to 10 per
cent of the surface of the apple; pro-
vided that slight limb rub not to eX-
ceed one-half inch in diameter or scab
spots not larger than one-quarter
inch in diameter in the aggregate
shall be permitted; provided further
that two healed-over worm stings on
apples carrying color requirements
characteristic of the variety shall be
permitted in this grade.
&c grade or third grade apples are
defined as all those free from infec-
ton. soft bruises and broken skin;
provided that this grade may include
healed-over stings and scab spots not
to exceed one-half inch in diameter in
the aggregate.
"Your committee recommends that
extra fancy color requirements re-
main the same as the 1921 except
that there shall be no color require
ments on green and yellow varieties;
that Macintosh reds and kraign
Spitz be changed from solid red to
striped red varieties and the Winter
Bananas from the green and yellow
verieties to the red checked or blush
ed variety; that color requirements
for fancy grade remain the same as
in 1921 except that there be no color
requirements on red-cheeked o.
blushed varieties and on green and
yellow varieties; that the C grade
shall have no color requirements and
that tolerance be increased from 5
per cent to 10 per cent
"The committee further recon-
mends that scald decay and other de-
fects developing in fruit after pack
ing shall be defined as applying to
condition rather than grade; provid-
ed, that satisfactory evidence be
presented to show that such defects
were not evident at the time of pack
ing"
Efforts Of A. G. Craig of the East
Farms to add to the committee re-
pert a definition of tolerance and to
have a standard apple box set, failed
to pass At the requset of the canta-
loupe growers of Grandview the CON
ference placed the standard canta-
loupe crate size at 81 by u by u
inches.
At the morning session the stand
ard depth of the tin top pack for
prunes was placed at Az inches and
the standard depth for suitcase pack
placed at 3A inches. The suitcase
pack standard was made only after
long discussion, many growers hold
ing for a 3i2-inch depth The stand
ard weight was placed at l6 pounds
net in place of a previous range be-
tween growers of from II to 20
pounds. The effect of the standard
depth and the standard weight is to
make a standard prune container.
A new onion grade, the Washing
ton Large grade, to consist of onions
more than three inches through was
approved, the second grade to be the
L. s. No. l and the rest of the grades
to conform to the L. s. standard
F. II. Gloyd, chief assistant director