Spanish, especially when the pods do not fill out well and grading is difficult or the stock is otherwise of poor quality.

GRADES FOR VIRGINIA-TYPE PEANUTS

Formerly the grades for Virginia-type peanuts were vague and indefinite. The grades for cleaned peanuts were especially ill-defined, with no uniformity in either count or minimum size specifications. Each shipper made his own standards, and there was a wide range

FIG. 13.-Different lots of oil stock from plants running Virginia-type peanuts. (Reduced one-third)

in the same grade as put out by different cleaners. On December 13, 1921; however, the National Peanut Cleaners and Shellers Association "adopted grades for use by its members throughout the Virginia-North Carolina territory, which specified the varieties to be included, the count per pound, percentages of unsound nuts and foreign matter permitted, and other factors.

11 National Peanut Cleaners and Shellers Association. Conditions of purchase and sale [effective De cember 13, 1921]. 8 pp. Suffolk, Va. 1922.

Virginia-type peanuts in the shell are sold as jumbos, fancys, and extras. The chief difference between jumbos and fancys is that the count per pound for jumbos shall not exceed 200 per pound as against 240 for fancys. Extras consist principally of nuts blown out, picked out, or screened out when making jumbos and fancys. They are not permitted to weigh less than 85 pounds to the 70-inch bag, and the count per pound can not be more than 320.

FIG. 14.-Three grades of shelled Virginia peanuts: Extra large (at the upper left), No. 1 (at the

upper right), and No. 2 (below). (Reduced one-third)

Shelled Virginias come on the market as extra large, No. 1 and No. 2 According to the rules of the association, extra large must not contain less than 528 to the pound, or 33 to the ounce, and the count for No. 1 can not exceed 675 to the pound, or slightly more than 42 to the ounce. The specifications for unsound nuts, foreign matter, and splits for the two grades are much the same. No. 2 peanuts contain shrivels in addition to splits, although the rules specify that not more than 5 per cent of No. 2 peanuts shall pass through a 16/64 round screen. During the 1924-25 season, No. 2 Virginias consisted principally of shrivels.

Many members of the trade have felt that the specifications in the rules of the National Shellers and Cleaners Association are not sufficiently definite, and such liberal tolerances are provided that buyers still purchase largely by brand name and on the shipper's reputation rather than by grade.

Owing to the scarcity of large-sized nuts during recent years, and to the increasing demand by salting interests for large shelled Vir

FIG. 15.-Different lots of oil stock from plants running shelled Spanish peanuts. (Reduced onethird)

ginias, some shellers have occasionally lowered the count for their extra large Virginia grade, and while some shipments of extra large will run 30 to 32 to the ounce, other lots have been seen which graded 34 to 36 to the ounce instead of 33 as prescribed in the rules. This lowering of the standard has been particularly unfortunate because of the recent stiff competition which Virginias have had to meet from oriental peanuts. Large quantities of the 28 to 30 and 30 to 32 to

the ounce sizes have been received in recent years from China. They compete with the extra large Virginias, which are slightly smaller in size than the orientals even if domestic factories maintain the prescribed size minimum. If plants shelling domestic peanuts should lower their grades, the salters would no doubt be that much. more interested in orientals. No. 1 Virginias, which usually count out from 40 to 42 to the ounce, but at times run as small as 48 to the ounce, must compete with the 38 to 40 size of orientals. The present tariff seems to be keeping out the smaller-sized Asiatic peanuts to a large extent, but American shellers probably will continue to experience competition from the larger sizes of imported nuts.

FEDERAL GRADES FOR SPANISH AND RUNNER TYPES OF PEANUTS

The grades for Spanish-type peanuts were formerly almost as indefinite as those for the Virginia-type nut. Increased agitation for definite, well-established grades, expecially in the Southeast and Southwest, however, resulted in detailed investigations in both producing and consuming centers, and in the fall of 1921 the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the Department of Agriculture, offered carefully considered tentative grades for shelled White Spanish peanuts. These grades, revised to September 1, 1925,12 follow:

U. S. No. 1 shall consist of shelled White Spanish peanuts which are whole and free from small shriveled, noticeably discolored, unshelled or damaged peanuts, and from foreign material.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 1 per cent, by weight, may consist of other varieties of peanuts; not more than 2 per cent, by weight, of split or broken kernels; not more than 2 per cent, by weight, of small shriveled peanuts; not more than 34 per cent, by weight, of unshelled or damaged peanuts; not more than 4 per cent, by weight, of foreign material; not more than 14 per cent, by weight, may consist of peanuts with noticeably discolored skins which are otherwise of U. S. No. 1 grade, but of this amount not more than 5 (4 per cent) may be badly discolored.

U. S. No. 2 shall consist of shelled White Spanish peanuts which may be split or broken, but which are free from small shriveled, unshelled or damaged peanuts, small pieces of peanuts, and from foreign material.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 1 per cent, by weight, may consist of other varieties of peanuts; not more than 6 per cent, by weight, of small pieces of peanuts or small shriveled peanuts; not more than 12 per cent, by weight, of unshelled or damaged peanuts; and not more than 4 per cent, by weight, of foreign material.

DEFINITIONS OF GRADE TERMS

1. "Small shriveled" peanuts in U. S. No. 1 means peanuts which are shriveled and which will pass through a screen of the type customarily in use, having inch by 3/4 inch perforations; and in U. S. No. 2, peanuts which are shriveled and which will pass through a screen of the type customarily in use, having 1-inch round perforations.

2. "Small pieces of peanuts" means portions of peanuts which will pass through a screen of the type customarily in use, having 2-inch round perforations.

3. "Foreign material" means sticks, stones, dirt, shells, portions of vines, or any material other than peanut kernels.

4."Split peanuts" means the separated halves of the peanut kernel.

5. "Damaged peanuts" means

(a) Peanuts which are rancid or decayed to an extent visible externally.

(b) Moldy peanuts.

(c) Peanuts showing sprouts over 1-inch long. However, all sprouted peanuts the separated halves of which show decay shall be classed as damaged.

See footnote 9, p. 17.

75379°-26†—3

(d) Dirty peanuts where the surface is distinctly dirty and the dirt ground in. This condition usually results when peanuts are rubbed in the machinery in the process of handling.

(e) Wormy or worm-injured peanuts. Peanuts which show only slight and superficial worm injury with no frass around the injury shall not be considered as damaged.

(f) Peanuts shall not be considered as damaged which show a light yellow color or a slight yellow pitting of the flesh.

6. "Noticeably discolored skins." Peanuts which show dark brown discoloration, usually netted and irregular, affecting more than 25 per cent of the skin, shall be classed as noticeably discolored. Peanuts which are paler or darker in color than is usually characteristic of the variety, but which are not actually discolored, shall not be classed as noticeably discolored.

7. "Badly discolored skins." Peanuts which show bluish or black discoloration, affecting an area in excess of one-half the surface in the aggregate, shall be classed as badly discolored.

Actual screening of numerous samples of peanuts, taken from many different shipments, has shown that in years of ordinary crop conditions most commercially acceptable lots of Spanish peanuts come within the above grades. If reasonable care is exercised in running the peanut-shelling and screening machinery at proper speed, and in picking out undesirable material as the shelled product passes along the picking tables, shellers will have little difficulty in meeting the requirements of the Federal grades. Figure 16 shows samples of U. S. No. 1 and U. S. No. 2 taken from commercial lots that are superior to the minimum requirements of these grades.

The grades met with immediate commendation from many large shelling interests in the Southeast. They have been adopted by the Southeastern Peanut Association and the majority of the sales of shelled Spanish in the United States are now made on the basis of these grades.

The increasing use of shelled Runners as a substitute for shelled Virginias in making peanut butter and peanut candy resulted in many requests for United States grades for Runners. Accordingly, after a careful investigation the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the Department of Agriculture, offered on January 8, 1925, United States grades for shelled Runner peanuts. These grades, revised to September 1, 1925,13 follow:

U. S. No. 1 shall consist of shelled Runner peanuts which are whole and free from small shriveled, unshelled or damaged peanuts and from foreign material. In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 1 per cent, by weight, may consist of other varieties of peanuts; not more than 3 per cent, by weight, of split or broken kernels; not more than 2 per cent, by weight, of small shriveled peanuts; not more than 14 per cent, by weight, of unshelled or damaged peanuts; and not more than 4 per cent, by weight, of foreign material.

U. S. No. 2 shall consist of shelled Runner peanuts which may be split or broken, but which are free from small shriveled, unshelled, or damaged peanuts, small pieces of peanuts, and from foreign material.

In order to allow for variations incident to proper grading and handling, not more than 1 per cent, by weight, may consist of other varieties; not more than 6 per cent, by weight, of small pieces of peanuts or small shriveled peanuts; not more than 12 per cent, by weight, of unshelled or damaged peanuts; and not more than 4 per cent, by weight, of foreign material.

The definitions of grade terms agree exactly with those given for shelled Spanish, except that discolored skins are not mentioned. Figure 17 shows samples of U. S. No. 1 and U. S. No. 2 grades of shelled Runners.

13 See footnote 9, p. 17.