Milford chronicle., 1928-08-17
FEDERAL INSPECTION
PAYS FRUIT GROWERS
LCOntinued from first Bagsl

tributing point for produce that is
graded, over that which is not
graded.
Standardization or Shipping
Point Inspection, tending as 1t does
to enable the producer to secure
better prices for fruit or produce
encourage him to produce better
fruit. knowing that when he spends
time and money in the pruning, fer
tilization, cultivation, and spraying
of his fruit trees that this will en-
able him to produce better fruit,
and that when it is sold it will bring
a price higher than fruit from trees
which have not been properly taken
care of, and which do not produce
such high quality.
shipping Point Inspection by
standardizing grades also tends to
create confidence, increase demand,
and thereby help in greater distri-
button. Buyers in distant cities pre-
fer to buy produce that they know
is inspected and up to grade, rather
than to purchase products which
have not been graded, and which
may not meet their expectations.
cat the time of inspection,
State Federal Certificate is issued
which is accepted as prima facie
evidence in all courts of the United
States; this naturally tends to re-
duce claims. For instance, if the
distant buyer claims that the pVr-
chased fruit was not up to the size,
color or quality which he bought,
the shipper or producer simply
states that he holds a government
certificate showing exactly the size,
quality, color and condition of the
fruit shipped, and in the majority of
cases, nothing further is heard of
the claim.
From the consumers standpoint,
he is willing and can well afford to
pay a premium for Delaware fruit,
wa;ch he knows is carefully graded
and packed, over the price that he
would pay for fruit which does not
bear any marks, is not graded or in
spected, and in which he may be
disappointed.
During the shipping season the
Bureau of Markets is called upon
many times daily, to send an inspec-
tor to various packing houses. 1t ,
is we'll known that small amounts |
of undersize or poor quality fruit in :
each package will lower the grade !
for the entire shipment, and we
have been able in many cases to
show the grower that by removing
just a few apples or peaches he can
raise his grade from U. S. No. 2 or
Unclassified to U. S. No. 1 or U. S.
Fancy, and thereby secure the addi-
tional price.
During the first year of inspec-
ton work, only late apples were in
spected. However, since that time,
and upon the request of both buyers {
and producers, this service has been ]
extended to cover strawberries, ear
ly apples, peaches, grapes, canta-
loupes and late apples, and the de- {
mand is increasing. During the !
first year only forty-eight cars were I
the next year Y cars; in
1925 more than 400 cars; in 1926 t
more than 900 cars, and last year /
1,150 cars. At the I
present time, we do not know the
number OF, cars that will be inspect F
I'd during 1928. This will depend, of n
course, largely on the amount of c
'ruit produced. Strawberries were
inspected in an experimental way at c
wo shipping points this year, and "
he service will probably be ex- tt
ended next year. There has been
iome demand for official inspection s.
# both cucumbers and sweet pota- e.
oes, and these commodities will 81
be officially inspected
within a reasonable length of time. n
1.-THE above will give an idea of
he growth of this very important al
work. in Delaware. From Nation G
i standpoint, the growth of the c
ervice has been tremendous. In t.
924 there were 150,959 cars of
arm produce officially inspected h
throughout the United States, and al
or the fiscal year ending July l, R
928. or five years later, there were h
1882 cars officially inspected. OF c.
his total of 21O,832 cars of farm IL
roduce inspected at shipping points P
here were 264 re-inspections made al
( terminal markets. Of this num- ];
er. the inspection of 80 cars was OF
and the inspection of liza al
airs. or approximately ZIP of enc al
er cent of the total, was reversed. M
"When this service was first tn
tarted in Delaware, the inspection b
as made at the car, and after the P.
reduce had been purchased. Dur al
lg the past two years, what is gen W
rally known as "street inspection" CT
as been provided, which enables pI
le grower to have his fruit in TO
pected before it is sold to the mu- tic
1aI satisfaction of both seller and ed
lrchaser. IN
"The inspectors who do this in wi
,ection work are men who are tn
aimed and licensed by the Federal
The number OF men da
no inspect produce in Delaware tt
aries, of course, according TO the II
1antity of fruit and the season. tn
owever. all inspection work mere er
fore has been completed early IN
oven,ber. The inspectors usually Pf
ave here and continue inspection MI
orl- in New York or other states
here fine crop is later, and from Pl
orc on to Florida for citrus FRUITS HI
ID 70 Louisiana on strawberries; TO
or Louisiana through Alabama in
ennessee, Georgia, North Carolina fri
NTH Carolina and Virginia on such' an
.oduce as strawberries, watermel- MI
IS cantaloupes,- peaches and pota- rel
es AT the present time, this Oil an
al Shipping Point Inspection work \.
beinq carried on by forty-one phi
ates. The states are as follows re-
' s.S1oboroo Arizona. Arkansas,
,.so',.,;o Colorado. Delaware, tie