Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-01-30
Grades And Pack

'. uax the unanimous opinion az Western Fruit
.obb.rs. who toured the Lover Rlo Grande valley the
first Of the week, that establishment cf 7. :. grads
s-d rore uniforr, rack for Valley fruit and vegetables
is essential to development otEnarket 5 for Valley
products.
They asserted that Valley products sre without
rs.r. - far a. quality " concerned Almost lnvaria-
bly, they would terminate their comments with the
statement: But your pack is often poor and you have
no grades
Fruit and vegetables sell uron looks" The finest
Favored grapefruit that can be produced will not IND
q ready sale unless it is attractive y appearance
Carrots are not attractive TO the housewife unless
those contained in the bunch are uniform N size and
IN. same is true of beets. 4 few small heads Of cab
bsse lower the retail price for an entire crate and
/. a~,peelsd" tomato causes the housewife to buy Il
some other store.
The retail trade demands uniformity. cleanliness
attractive pack. and above al selling appearance"
Those are the things the grower and shipper must
provide if markets are to be expanded to take care Of
the everincreasing tonnage.
The movement that has been Inaugurated IN the
Valley to establish U. S. grades for all fruit and veg
etables should have the unqualified support Of every
Valley interest. II Is now proposed 70 make TINS
grading compulsory, every car Of every commodity 20
be shipped under certifieation,no t only as a protee-
.ion n the grover and shipper, but also to the con-
sumner. II would prohibit shipments n immature PR
inferior products. such as are often placed upon the
market and which force down quotations fos higher
quality commodities.
The suggestion has been made that the Lower RIO
Grsnde Valley accept the Florida grades on citrus
fruit. The fruit jobbers Who recently inspected The
Valley groves and packing plants we're especially en-
rhstic upon this point. They asserted that the trade
has accepted the Florida grades, that practically all
orders are based upon those grades, and that any Dir
erosion therefrom On the part Of the Valley would
result in endless confusion. They advanced the prin-
chile Of national Standardization % support this argu-
ment. declaring that Valley fruit, II properly graded
and packed. would win it, way into the markets
long as there are no established grades and with only
. few packing plants turning cut the pack the trade
demands. the industry viii remain in a chaotic eondi-
tions o far as the marketing is concerned.
"The Lower Rio Grande Valley cannot afford n
delay establishment ~ grades and additional outlets
for its citrus fruit" was the assertion of Admer d..
Miller. manager Of the Fruit Auction Co. Of New
Ycrk, which does n business exceeding S~25eoonoo an
ruallv. with thousands of acres coming into bear
ing in a few years, the Valley must start now TO es-
tablish its outlets. and the most logical start would
be the establishment of the Florida grades. Unless
the Valley i well organized and fruit properly graded
ard packed. the Industry viii be IN a more chaotic
condition than n Florida a few years acc: end this
vil rean TIRE loss AZ millions " profits r the grow
ers. BY al means do not delay IN establishing the
Fiorida grades