The Monmouth inquirer., 1924-10-23
Federal Onion
Grades Revised
Principal Change Is That
Minimum Size Shall Be
One and a Half Inches.
prepared BY the United state. DsDa1tm.I

prepared by the United States Department
Of Agriculture.)
ReYisions in the United States
grades for northern-grown onions have
been announced by the United States
Department Of Agriculture.
The principal change is the separ-
alton Of size and grade with the pro-
vision that unless otherwise specified
the minimum size shall be III inches.
If quotations are made on the basis
Of U. S. No. l without any under
standing as to a minimum size, it
should be assumed that the minimum
size is IL inches.
q. S. No. / grade now includes spec
ifications as to firmness, maturity and
shape A limitation has also been
placed upon the amount of decay in
connection with the usual tolerance
which is allowed to cover mistakes
which happen in the course of trad
ing and handling.
The revised grades are as follows:
U. S. No. I.
Z q. S. No. 1 shall consist Of onions
Of similar varietal characteristics
which are firm, mature, well shaped,
free from doubles, splits, bottlenecks,
scallions, dirt, tops or other foreign
matter and from damage caused by
sprouting, freezing. disease, insects or
mechanical or other means. See size
classification.
In order to allow for variations in
cident to proper grading and ham
ding, not more than per cent, by
weight, of any lot may be below the
requirements of this grade, but not
more than a total Of two-ifths of this
tolerance or 2 per cent, may be al
lowed for onions which are affected
by decay.
q. S. No. shall consist of onions
which do not meet the requirements
Of U. S. No. l. See size cIassifca-
ton.
Unless otherwise specified the min
lmum size shall be Ia inches in d.
ameter* Onions may be classified for
size on the following basis:
Boilers, q to ~ inches; small II
20 134 inches; medium, IA TO PA
inches large, over "a inches.
In order to provide a class for very
large Spanish type onions grown in
some localities. a Very Large" class
is recommended for onions over 3
inches in diameter. Onions may also
be described as small to Medium" or
MEDIUM to Large" in accordance with
the facts.
In order to allow for variations in
cident to proper sizing, not more than
5 per cent, by weight, may be below
the specified minimum size and in
addition, not more than 10 per cent,
by weight, may be larger than the
specified maximum size.
Definition of Terms.
AS used In these grades:
Mature" means firm, dry and well
cured. Mid-season onions which are
not customarily held in storage shall
be considered mature when harvested
in accordance with good commercial
practice at a stage which will not re-
suit in the onions becoming soft or
spongy.
well shaped" means having the
shape characteristic of the variety, but
slightly off-type or slightly misshapen
onions shall be admitted to q. S. No. L.
DOUBLES" and splits" are onions
which have developed more than one
distinct bulb. All such onions which
are either distinctly misshapen or
which show a splitting of the outer
scales shall be excluded from Q. 5.
No. 1.
"Bottlenecks" are onions with alb
normally thick necks.
"ScaIlions" are onions which have
thick necks and relatively small and
poorly developed bulbs.
Diameter means the greatest di-
ameter at right angles to a straight
line running from the stem TO the root
minimum sizes other than n inches
shall be specified in connection with
the grade as ~. S. No. 1, u in min.
or ~. S. No. l, 2 in. min"