Grading.
The grading of American fruits is in a chaotic condition. There is no uniformity in the principles or practices of fruit-grading. All fruits should be graded at least into sound and imperfect fruit. There is a large demand for low grades of fruit among the poorer classes, and there is no objection to the sale of low grades, provided the grade is plainly designated on the package, and the fruit is not unwholesome. The sound fruit may be still further graded into several classes, depending on the relative color, perfection and size of the fruit. In packing in boxes, each of the grades should be sized accurately, and the number should be desig nated on the end of the package. If there is not a large quantity of the higher grades in the sound fruit, all of it may be marked under a brand known as "orchard run," which usually means that the unsound fruit and culls have been eliminated. The orchard-run grade is in common use among apple packers in the East, who eliminate the imperfect and the smaller sizes of perfect fruit, marking the grade as No. 1. Small-fruits can be graded into different sizes if there is sufficient variation in the size.
Selling.
It is a good policy for the average fruit-grower who does not grow large quantities of fruit to sell it on the tree, in the package, or on an f. o. b. basis, unless he belongs to an organization that has a marketing system developed, or has unusual facilities for posting himself on the condition of the crop and the market. If he does not care to sell, he may store it for a possible rise in price later on. There are many variations in the method of selling fruit that cannot be discussed in this article. It may pay the grower who has large quantities of fruit to handle it through a commission merchant. A firm should be selected that is reliable, and the grower generally should ship to no one else in the same market. If he has large quantities of fruit,
he may be able to arrange with the merchant to handle his fruit exclusively. The fruit can then be advertised, the merchant can circularize the trade, or make known the virtues of the fruit in other ways. In shipping fruit to commission merchants, the grower should not lose sight of the fact that a large proportion of the commission merchants of the country have become fruit-dealers, and that they sell their own fruit in competition with the fruit that is consigned to them. The highest re turns are probably received by those who are suc cessful in developing a special trade among retail grocerymen, private individuals or other special customers. The success of a special trade depends primarily on the man who attempts to develop it. A high grade of fruit packed attractively and with scrupulous honesty has to be supplemented by per sonal qualities in the grower to enable him to im press on a customer the superior merits of his fruit.
Shipping.
The quick-ripening fruits that are to be shipped some distance should be forwarded in refrigerator cars in hot weather. This applies to the stone fruits, the small-fruits, grapes and the early varie ties of apples and pears. It applies also to the fruits of all kinds of the Pacific coast except the citrus fruits, provided they have been handled in perfect condition. In cool weather the fruits can be shipped in special ventilator cars, or in refrig erator cars operated as ventilators, if the car is needed to protect the fruit against the cold. The carrying quality of all fruits is improved by cool ing them to about 40° before loading. It requires several days in transit to reduce the temperature to 40°. If the fruit can be cooled, it can develop a higher color before picking, and the market area can be greatly extended.