FIFTY-FIRST ANNIAL ItEPORT. 87 



revelation of the enormous annual loss of fruits and vegetables due to 

 disease during transit. The certificates sent in by inspectors covering 

 the inspection of 56 cars of pineapples during the past season show an 

 average loss of 27% from Black Rot. In one week as many as 2,500 

 hampers of Louisiana head lettuce had been rejected as a total loss at 

 the car door in Chicago. In the year 1920 out of 1,298 cars of peaches 

 inspected 1,065 showed Brown Rot and the average loss in those cars 

 was about 20%. It is estimated that 25% of all tomatoes shipped from 

 California, Florida and Mexico into distant markets are discarded because 

 of decay. Inspection of 750 cars of barreled apples and 816 cars of 

 boxed apples of the 1920 crop shows an average loss of 12% due prin- 

 cipall}^ to Blue Mold Rot and scald. Some of these losses could have 

 been prevented, especially the loss from Blue Mold Rot, which is usually 

 the result of careless handling methods. Up to a short time ago the 

 majority of those who deal in fruits and vegetables accepted these losses 

 as a part of the game. The business or rather the industry as a whole 

 and ultimately the consumer absorbs the loss which amounts to millions 

 of dollars annually. 



Dr. G. K. K. Link one of our pathologists has summed up the situa- 

 tion as follows: "From an economic pomt of view it is a hopeful sign 

 for all concerned and augurs well for the future, that the contact estab- 

 lished with shippers, receivers and the railroads are bringing to them 

 the realization that such losses are due mainly to plant diseases, many of 

 which are controllable, and not to "inherent weakness." When the 

 buyer and distributor once realize that their losses are mainly due 

 to diseases, they will insist that a sound, disease-free product be delivered 

 to them. This will lead to improvements in production methods such as 

 the use of disease-free seed, seed disinfection, spraying and field sanita- 

 tion, since the grower must grow what he can sell. So long as he can 

 sell inferior, unsound diseased products there is no incentive to produce 

 high-grade, disease-free stock." 



Equally important is the marked improvement in market conditions 

 which has prevailed since the inspection service was established. In the 

 past it was not uncommon for cars of produce to stand on track for 

 several days and often a week or more, while the shipper and receiver 

 wrangled over the settlement. One of the results obtained by official 

 inspections is the prompt settlement of disputes and unloading of cars. 

 Not only have enormous sums been saved in car demurrage but the 

 prompt unloading of cars at destination has aided the railroads in furnish- 

 ing cars at times when their failure to provide the necessary equipment 

 would have resulted in heavy losses to shippers of perishable products. 

 The rejection of shipments by unscrupulous dealers on some trifling 

 excuse has often thrown cars of produce on the market at such prices as 

 to demoralize it and prevent other dealers from making the profit to 

 which they were justly entitled. This does not happen so frequently 

 now as it did in years gone by and conditions seem to have changed for 

 the better. The inspection service alone is not responsible for all of the 

 improvements but it has contributed a large measure towards eliminating 

 conditions that tend to cause waste and injury to the producer, buyer 

 and consumer. It has assisted in overcoming many of the difficulties 

 arising between seller and buyer, making the negotiations more pleasant 

 and profitable to them both. 



