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Show COLORADO ADOPTS U. S. POTATO GRADES Eleven States Now Use Federal Standards Officially. ' ! New Division of Marketing in the Mountain State Also Is Preparing Prepar-ing Graces for Apples nd Other Kinds of Fruit (Prepared by the United States Department o: Agriculture.) Adoption of United States potato grades in Colorado has increased tha amount of the crop marketed on this basis by more than 12,000,000 bushels, according to the August estimate of the bureau of markets and crop estimates, esti-mates, United States Department of Agriculture, and raises to 11 the number num-ber of states that have made tha United States grades official. Although Al-though the use of the federal standards stand-ards has been optional since the days of the United States food administration, administra-tion, they are now used officially for grading 30 per cent of the total crop and unofficially for 30 to 43 per cent more. Following the lead of other western west-ern states, Colorado created at tha last session of the legislature a division divi-sion of marketing and provided for y y v . f, Shipping Officially Graded Potatoes In Colorado. the Inspection of fruits and vegetables on the basis of state grades. The new division started work In July, and hearings were held In producing sections sec-tions throughout the state for the purpose pur-pose of establishing practical standards stand-ards that would be satisfactory to tha trade. These conferences led to the prompt adoption of the United States grades recommended by the United States Department De-partment of Agriculture for potatoes, pota-toes, onions, cabbages, head lettuce, rough and washed celery, cucumbers and fresh tomatoes. State standards were also promulgated for beans, cauliflower and sacked vegetables. Apple grades have been prepared also by the Colorado division of marketing, mar-keting, In co-operation with the bureau bu-reau of markets and crop estimates, after a series of hearings, and grades for boxed and bulk stock will be announced an-nounced In the near future. Owing to the late start of the work, the division divi-sion of marketing will not attempt the Inspection of peaches or pears this season. The new work Is receiving enthusiastic enthusias-tic support from most of the growers and shippers, who feel that it will do much toward building up the reputation reputa-tion of Colorado products in the markets. mar-kets. Although the service Is not yet fully organized, a total of ,1,000 cars were inspected during the first month's operation. |