Smyrna times., 1928-12-26
TO GRADE STATE TOMATO CROP
If Plans Prove Satisfactory, Growers
May Get 80 Ton for Their Crop

May Get 80 Ton for Their Crop
Delaware Gamers and tomato grow
ers are looking forward to most pro
gressive step next summer in the
grading and canning of tomatoes.
During the past summer, the Bureau
of Markets of the State Board of Ag-
riculture, conducted inspections at
two canning plants to determine
whether such process was feasible.
Another point to be determined was
whether Delaware tomato growers
could successfully as commercial ac-
tivity, grow U. S. No. l tomatoes.
Both the inspection and the growing
if the best kind of tomatoes were
proved and now other Gamers are
planning to ask for inspection of to-
matoes at the canning. plants and will
be willing it is believed, to pay the
tomato growers a higher price for
first class goods. The inspection
showed that load of tomatoes could
be examined in seven minutes. The
tomatoes were weighed and the
amount of Z. S. No. l and q. S. No. 2
grades determined the value of the
wagon load. Up to this time, it has
been the custom of the packer, to have
as many as a score of persons engag-
ed i'll sorting tomatoes. When the to-
matoes were taken from the baskets,
these sorters separated the first class
tomatoes and also threw away those
that We're too green or unfit to pack.
Under the new plan of inspection, the
Gamers will endeavor to have the
farmer instruct his pickers not to pick
green tomatoes or oyer-ripe ones. In
this way nothing but the best toma-
toes Of two grades will be forwarded
to the cannery. Naturally, the pick
ers will expect more money and diff
Guilty is anticipated at the start in
learning the pickers to pick only those
tomatoes that are fit for canning at
the time. This same difficulty was
experienced when orchardists instruct
ed their apple pickers to pick only
the fruit that was fit for shipment at
the time. 1t was several years be-
fore the pickers realized the benefit
of this instruction and were aided
very materially BY receiving a higher
price for doing as the orchardists dl-
rected This same policy in educating
the tomato picker will probably be
followed out with regard to tomatoes.
1t has been customary in Delaware to
pay about fifteen dollars ton for to-
matoes as they run. That is, choice
tomatoes and the second quality goods
From expressions made by some Of
the big Gamers, it is believed they
would be willing to pay twenty dol
lars, twenty-five dollars and one man
has said he would be willing to pay
thirty dollars a ton for u. S. No. 1
With this increased price,
it is believed the farmers will be en-
couraged to raise better tomatoes. Up
to this time there has been no induce
ment for the Delaware farmer to at
tempt to sort or Gull his tomatoes be-
cause they were accepted at the can
nery no matter whether they were
large or small, cracked or bruised and
he received twenty-five cents a bas-
ket. The inspection during the past
summer showed that Delaware farm
ers are just as clever agriculturalists
as are the farmers of other states and
that Delaware soil can produce just
as fancy U. S. No. tomatoes as any
other state. 1t is the color, accord
ing to w. T. Derickson, director Of the
Bureau Of Markets, that largely de-
termines the grade of the tomato. II
they are red and without cracks and
they are eligible as Y. s.
No. 1 tomatoes. When the top of the
tomato is partly green the tomatoes
are usually classed as No. 2 tomatoes.
Where the tomatoes are spotted or
cracked and it is necessary to cut
away one third of them, they are still
Of service as canning product but
not as good as US. No. or US. No.
2. Canning of inspected tomatoes
was carried on in Ney York state and
in some Of the middle western states
last summer and these Common
wealths are preparing to continue the
The Gamers Of lower
Delaware who are agitating this mod
ern method in tomato canning are
anxious to have the Delaware product
on as high a plane as tomatoes pack
ed in any other state. These Gamers
nave sought conferences with director
Derickson and it is believed there will
be many meetings during the winter
between the Gamer and the grower in
order to reach a successful culmina-
ion of this project.
WITH PASSING CHECK |