Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24
TURKEYS TO BEAR
u. S. GRADE MARKS
Labels to Tell Age of Birds
I, and Indicate Which Are !.
Best for Eating.

Residents of washington may buy
turkeys for Thanksgiving dinners this
year, graded according to the United
states standards. During this season,
which is the second year of grading
turkeys for Thanksgiving by the De-
partment of Agriculture, the work viii
be greatly enlarged and otherwise
changed from that performed last year.
One of the city's large meat whole
salers Is completing arrangements 10
have two cars of turkeys graded for sale
here. A car contains about 1000 birds.
Both cars will contain only young
tarkeys of the grade "U. s.. Prime,
which assures the highest quality.
The Thanksgiving turkeys were graded
for the company at Bristol, Va, by j. r.
Keithley of the Virginia division OF
markets. Keithley, who is a Federal
state turkey grader, licensed by the
department, began with the inspection
of the two cars of birds last week as
they were being dressed and packed In
cold storage.
Expect Further Requests.
It is expected by the department that
other wholesalers and retailers in Wash
ington will request turkey grading for
Thanksgiving.
turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving
by the Navy Department and for the
veterans hospitals here will be graded
by Federal classif1ers.
The consumer who buys a turkey
with a paper bracelet" around the
shank bearing the wording ~. s.
Prime" will be purchasing very de-
sirable Ingredient for his Thanksgiving
dinner.
The second grade given by the de-
partment is United States choice"
Purchasers of turkeys of this grade will
be getting almost as delectable bird
as those who prefer the prime" turkeys
AS a result of the first work in turkey
grading for Thanksgiving last year, the
department learned lesson from which
it will profit in assigning the grades
this year. Replies to a QUESTIONABLE
sent by the department to purchasers
of Government-graded turkeys last year
showed that about 81 per cent Of the
consumers were delighted with their
birds. However, of the small percentage
of purchasers unsatiSfled with their
United States graded birds, majority
of those not satisfied gave the reason
that the birds were tough.
VIII Mark Old Birds.
For that. reason the department this
year will place the word mature" very
conspicuously on the bracelet" bear
partment points out that those not
satisfied may not have noticed that
the Government grade last year did not
say that the bird was young or the
purchaser did not cook the bird sum-
GENTLY.
Government grading turkeys for the
holiday season commenced in Wash
ington for Christmas of 1927. Those
connected with poultry grading in the
- - ank To atAaV
who thought of the idea first. How
ever. the Christmas work was actually
inaugurated here two years ago by T
w Heitz of the department. In 1926
the work was enlarged and turkeys
graded for Thanksgiving as well as
for Christmas.
However, Government classiflers
graded dressed turkeys only in a mum.
Der of cities in New England, In anc
in washington in 1928. This year thu
department Is arranging for turke!
grading from California, where tn,
Thanksgiving dinner may be eaten out
side In the sunshine, to Boston. neal
where the first white man caught the
first native American game bird fol
the first Thanksgiving.
Grading Arranged.
Government inspectors will grade
birds at terminal markets in Boston
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore
Pittsburgh, Detroit and Chicago Ar.
rangements were made by the depart
ment with State departments of agri-
culture for Federal State grading By
men licensed by the Federal depart
ment similar to Keithley, who Is grad
ing turkeys ct Bristol, at shipping
points In Colorado. Utah, Nevada
Idaho, wyoming, California, Montana
Minnesota. virginia and Maryland.