FRUIT FOR EXPORT.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 70, 24 March 1914, Page 2

FRUIT FOR EXPORT.

STANDARrHSATION OF GRADES

WANTED.

# Mr Hi H. Pattle, of Dunedin, in an interesting contribution to a contemporary on the fruit industry, points out with regard to.(the Home anS export trade- that what is required- is standardisation of grades of ail classes of fruits^—l>oth for local.and for export trad©, and this is the ;question that should be <taken up with the Gov-. ernment. with the- idea of having all consignments examined by its graders,. and branded with >its stamp in- the same manner as our butter and cheese are graded. .There would be no difficulty in bringing about' this desirable state of affairs both for expor/t and local trade. AH that is inquired is a soundly constituted growers' association, through whose hands all produce would pass. After the association, had done, the packing, each outgoing consignment could be examined by the grader and grade-marked' accordingly. The benefit (to .be derived from such a system must be patent to all, as each grower would then be able to see just what his produce was worth, and he would, by striving to maintain his standard, eliminate all inferior trees, to his > ..ultimate benefit. It would ajso give distant buyers a definite, knowledge of what they were buying, and would therefore facilitate sales. 'In' fact, once the industry is organised properly and our grades .become known, it will be possible to hold auction sales annually of fruit for export,- a* which all the large Home and Continental houses would undoubtedly compete through their local agents. The fruit would all be sold, on Government gi-ade, for cash against bill of lading, and a cheap and prompt way of disposing of our exports at the highest possible figure would be provided.

The following table is suggested as a method of grading apples by points. Although it is. capable of improvement it is, in the writer's opinion, the bas« upon which our "standard grading" should be built:—

Suggested Government Grading Table. Points., Grade. 96—100 Extra choice. 93— 96 Choice 90—93 ... ... First, . 80— 90 ... Second 70— 80 ..-. Third 60—70 Fourth - Points should be awarded on the following, principle:— .

/i\ o- -ii Points. (1) bize and shape 25 (2) Packing ... 2o (3) Quality, variety, and flavor 25 (4) Color 25 With regard to (1) size and shape, points should be awarded as follows: 2|in diameter.—Dessert, 21 points; cooking, 8 points. 2£iri. diameter .—Dessert, 25 points; cooking, 15 points. .. . , 2jin. diameter.—Dessert, 23 points: cooking 21 points. ; 3in. diameter: Dessert, 21 points; cooking, 25 points. 3£in diameter.—Dessert, 16 points; cooking, 23 points. 3£in. diameter.—Dessert. 11 points: cooking, 21 points. .Similar tables. shovM be drawn up ioi^ the moro, important classes of fruit, and each grower throughout the courytry should be supplied with a °°Py- , Ev«n if it found impossible tor Government graders to examine all supplier, for local trade, this would still give the grower a definite

idea of what was required, and would be a step in the right direction, as it would tend to bring about a more wholesome sta,te of affairs, and the , people who would benefit most would be those who should be most interest- '. ed—Le,. the growers themselves. i