Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-08-07
TO GRADE APPLES
AND-P0fATOES At
SHIPPING PLACES
Government and State Sign
Agreement Which Will In
sure Good Market.
(Tribune's Helena Bureau)

(Tribune's Helena Bureau)
Helena. Aug. 6.-Ec!iow;ng tne sign
ing of a federal and state of Montana
cooperative agreement for grade IN
spection at shipping points of potatoes
and apples, which agreement was
signed on behalf of the state by Ches-
ter T.. Davis. commissioner of agricul~
ture, and then forwarded to Washing
ton. d. c., William l.. Shovel Of Mis-
soula has already started on a weeks
trip through central, western and north
eastern counties of the state for the
purpose of instructing inspectors as to
their duties.
On this trip he will visit Cascade,
Teton, POndera. Roosevelt. Valley.
Philips. Blaine, Sanders. Flathead. Ra-
valli. Beaverhead. Lewis and Clark.
Jefferson. Madison. Gallatin. Park,
Carbon, Yellowstone. Prairie, Fallon
and Richland counties, which contain
the commercial potato growing dis
tricts of the state.
In addition to lining up the inspec-
tors for the work, Mr.. Shovel will
arouse interest in the potato grading
schools which the state department viii
conduct next month.
Short on inspectors
1t is possible that in some of the
counties enumerated inspectors will not
be provided for the present season be-
cause of policy of the department is
not to put men on this work unless
they are fully qualified, and it may not
be possible to obtain a sufficient num-
Der of capable inspectors at this m
Only a few of the inspectors will be
on salary. and these will be the regu-
lar horticultural inspectors OF western
Montana, who have heretofore been
employed in Ravalli, Flathead. Mis-
soula and Sanders counties in the in
spection of fruits. Other inspectors
who will be placed Oh this work Will
be paid on the basis of fees collected
by them. These inspectors Will give
bond TO the state and all Will be under
the direction of Mr.. Shovel, chief OF
the horticultural division of the depart
ment Of agriculture.
The federal and state cooperative
agreement whereby the federal and
state departments of agriculture Will
unite in giving these grade inspec-
tions of potatoes and apples, was made
effective July 1. 1922. and it is expect
ed the Montana department will be
able to initiate the inspection shortly
after September /.
Will Improve Market
For a number of years apples raised
in Montana have been inspected by the
state and the state certificate of in
spection has been of much assistance
in opening up eastern markets to these
apples. This service will now be ex-
tended for the first time in Montana
- &Io .oco ~ nafofnps combined
federal and state certificate will be
issued which will be prima facie evi-
dence in any court in the state and
nation as to the grade of the product
at shipping point. =.
Wells A. Sherman of the bureau OF
agricultural economics of the United
Sta,,s department of agriculture. and
Commissioner Davis are named rs the
leaders of this cooperative agreement
which will be administered under the
state division OF horticulture. Under
this agreement of the salaried and
special inspectors of the Montana de-
partment of agriculture will be licensed
as federal inspectors. a federal su-
perrisor will be available for this IN
spection service in Montana for at
least two months during the shlppIng
season. the remainder of his time to be
spent in Idaho and Washington. In
spcction is TO be accorded only at the
request of the grower or shipper and
a fee will be charged with the expecta-
ton that the service will be manly
disappearing.
Grading Schools Planned
In the view Of men in the Montana
department OF agriculture who have
been working to secure this combined
federal and state inspection at ship
ping points. this inspection will have
important bearing upon the propiem o.
marketing Montana's potato crop. High
freight costs incident 70 Montana $
remoteness from market make 1t
perative that Montana ship and pay
freight upon only high quality pota-
toes. The effect of this inspection VIII
be educational and protective. Growers
will be assisted in grading and sorting
their stock to meet strict inspection
as of No. ! quality. This Inspection
will be a guarantee of grade at inc
point of shipment upon which sales
can be made at loading station. Here
tofore. only terminal Inspection mas
been available to potato groWerS OF
Montana and the investment and freight
frequently lead growers 10 accept pro-
posals from terminal commission mer-
chants upon rejected ears which they
would not have considered had the
price been quoted to them before ship
ping. $50.
As a preliminary to instituung this
inspection the state department OF ag-
ricuIture in conjunction with the extern
sion department of the Montana stat
college through the county agents and
farm bureaus, is planning TO hold n
number of potato grading schools dur
ing the month of September in the
commercial potato producing districts
in the state and at the Montana state
fair at Helena and the Midland Empire
fair at Billings, Most of these schools
will be out in potato fields and the
growers who co%ngregate there will be
taught how to grade and sort their
potatoes so that they may pass a most
rigid inspection MS United States No. ]
grade.