GRADING OF FRUIT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 108, 31 January 1919, Page 8

GRADING OF FRUIT

! KEGUUTIONS BEING CONSID•I ■ EKED.Reference to the grading of fruit trees was made at the annual conference ofthe Ken , ' Zealand Association of Nurserymen on Wednesday. The grading committee reported that it believed that New Zealand was tho first country ti adopt compnlsory grading of fruit trees. This step liad been taken at the request of the" "organised.' fruitgrowers and nurserymen of the Dominion. Tho committee recorded its appreciation of the assistance received from the Director and As-6istimt-Dircctor of tho Horticulture Division in its work, which it was realised was only tentative, and might," require ' some. modification as a result of experic?jcb of the regulations in actual practice. . Addressing the- conference, Mr. T. W. Kirk, Director of the Horticultural Division of the Department of Agriculture, stated thnt compulsory-grading was an important departure, and oiie that was on'the .right lines. Some time, ago he had informed tho Minister' that New Zealand was the only country in the i world thufc enforced the grading of fruit trees by statute. Grading was adopted in t.'.'f; United States, but' it was only voluntary. In New Zealand the inaxi•mum penalty for failing to, grade trees w(is I'L'fl. "[ do not think it will be long.before there will be regulations for ilw grading of fruit for'export," said Mr. ivirk. "At the present time there urn undfr consideration regulations providing for the grading of fruit for local consumption." The eiunnple set by the nssocinlion -in respect to grading wa3 'Ijetiifj followed in otlier brniiclies of liorticulturo.