168 Appendix. 



cooled immediately after picking. They should then be packed by skill- 

 ful packers right in the orchard and always kept cool and as soon as 

 possible after being thus picked and packed should be delivered to the 

 refrigerator car, which should be thoroughly cooled and in waiting to 

 receive the load. The cherries should be packed in the regular 10-pound 

 flat box for long distance shipment. The box being so designed that 

 when stacked with ventilation space, stripped and braced, the cool air 

 easily penetrates to every fruit. The carton made to fit these boxes 

 makes a still better pack, though somewhat more expensive, and is in 

 favor with the retailers because of the lack of loss in dealing them out, 



I need say little concerning the method of packing; you have here a 

 practical demonstration of the work. The fruit should be laid so as to 

 avoid any shifting or moving in the box, and the box must be fitted. 

 Don't fear to press the bottom down upon the fruit firmly; there is 

 more danger in slack filling and shifting than in squeezing of the 

 bottom fruits. 



Now, then, if you will contrast this method with the manner in which 

 we have in the past literally "clawed" our fruit from the trees— much 

 of it over-ripe to begin with — and then think of the way it has been 

 dumped into bushel boxes, wash boilers, or any other handy receptacle 

 and hauled to town, pei'haps in a wagon without springs, you will be 

 able to find some excuse for the non-keeping quality of the Oregon 

 cherry, and you may, in a very large mieasure, account for our past 

 unfortunate experiences. These conditions may be well applied to all 

 of the other fruits which are usually packed and shipped green. 



We have never been half careful enough in the handling of our green 

 pears; because they are green and hard does not indicate that they can 

 not be injured by unreasonable handling. 



I am not willing to concede that we have not as bright and keen busi- 

 ness men here as may be found in any other State, and I believe that if 

 the cherry was to be found here in sufficient quantities so that the 

 packer could aiford to send his packing crews into the country and 

 gather and pack the fruit in a proper manner and could get it in such 

 quantities that he could load a car or two every two or three days there 

 would be no lack of merchants to buy the crop of cherries on the trees 

 at very profitable prices. 



Concerning varieties for packing purposes and fresh shipment, I 

 should say the Bing, the Lambert and the Royal Ann are the three best 

 cherries we may expect to do business with, on account of their size. 

 If, for any reason, the mai'ket does not justify shipment, these varieties 

 are always in favor with the canners, and perhaps these varieties might 

 also be improved upon. Perhaps the Royal Ann could be brought down 

 to ripen a bit later to avoid the rain which we frequently have about 

 the maturing time; this is one great and good characteristic of the 

 Lambert and Bing. 



The size and appearance is the attractive feature with all of them. 

 Much depends upon the packing of the fruit of any kind; "handsomely 

 packed means well sold." Appearance is everything. 



