Smyrna times., 1926-01-13
WILL DISCUSS NEW MARKETING
PLAN FOR DELAWARE TOMATOES
GRADING OF VEGETABLES MAY
PROVE PROFITABLE TO FARMER
Plan Has Been Tried Out-Scheme
Worked Well Last Season When
The Experiment Was First Made

he w dS GAISl MduC
To Delaware and Eastern Shore of
Maryland tomato packers may come
the distinction of being the first in the
United States to can tomatoes under
government regulations. During the
past summer, A. c. Lewis, of the
| United States Department of Agricul-
ture, spent many weeks among can
neries in Maryland and Delaware con-
ducting quiet experiments in grading
tomatoes.
Growers of peaches, apples, sweet
potatoes and grapes have come to
realize their product if graded enables
them not only to obtain immediate
sales and higher prices, but there is
never any dispute about the quality
months after the fruit or vegetables
have been consumed, as has been the
case heretofore. So the tomato grow
ers have for years been trying to OBJ
tain some standard and method so
that when the wagons laden with to-
matoes reach the railroad shipping
station or cannery, the product may
be graded without delaying the un-
loading.
Mr.. Lewis tried out many plans and
finally hit upon the idea of inspecting
five or six baskets of tomatoes taken
at random from a wagonload, and fix
ing the result for the load upon what
he found in these five or six baskets.
In this way the farmer realizing that
any basket might be picked to be test
ed, would not be able to exercise any
but fair means to have his load, if it
was first-class stock, so judged. The
idea in the experiments worked out
excellently.
At a meeting of the cooperative
canneries of the two states to be held
either this week or not later than next
the standards which the government
man has recommended will be discuss
ed and it is hoped agreed upon.
In discussing this new plan, w. L.
Demckson, Director of the Bureau of
; Markets for the State Board Of Agri-
culture, said:
= "Under the government plan No. l
: grade, it is specified that tomatoes
shall be firm, ripe, well-formed, free
: from mOlds and decay, free from
2 damage caused by growth cracks, sun
/, scalds, worm-hOles, catfaces, scars
freezing, injury mechanical or Other
means.
"The proposed grade for No. q
4 continued MIR. Derickson, "is for to
/ matoes that do not meet No. re
! quirements but which shall be fairly
well ripened and free from serious
damage from any cause.
"Cull tomatoes are those which d'
not meet the requirements of eithe
the No. 1 or No. 2 grades.
"The ripeness of No. l grade mean
that each tomato shall have at leas
90 per cent good red color while tn
d No. 2 grade specifies fairly-well rip
ened, means at least twO-thirds goo
red color. In considering these grad
q es it is understood that green and de
caved tomatoes do not come unde
any grade and should not be brougf
7 to the cannery.
= "a basket of tomatoes could be II
spected in one minute, and fOllowln
the usual plan of inspection frOl
three to five baskets from differeI
parts of each load, it will readily
seen that this inspection will ON
take from three to five minutes al
could be made during the time tn
the baskets we're being unloaded fro
the wagon.
"For the purpose Of classifcatiO
it is recommended that baskets Of t
matoes containing 16 pounds or mo
of No. l stock might be put IN Ga
A; baskets containing from II to
pounds of tomatoes to the bask
: would be called Class B; baskets co
} tanning from to II pounds of No.
[ tomatoes would be put in Class
D four to eight pounds of No. l ton
toes to the basket, Class d, and t
to four pounds of No. l tomato
/ Glass E. Baskets containing Il
than this amount of No. tomato
would be restored
II "These tests have been cOnduct
L at tomato canning factories for
proximately three years. While tn
might be some minor technicalitles
be ironed out it is believed that
method of grading is practical
could be accomplished rapidly by
- spectors who might be employed
st reotly by the cannery or official
spection could be obtained by max
application to the State Bureau
Markets for an INSPECTOR, in Wi
event the inspection would be m
according to the United States sta
ard p"