458 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



they kept until about the middle of October. It depends a great deal 

 upon the stage of ripeness the grapes are in when picked, and some 

 varieties mature much earlier than others. In making tests of a great 

 many different varieties, and with some less common kinds, our greatest 

 difficulties were in the fact that we have competition with Spain, from 

 whom we import a great quantity. This Almeria grape comes from 

 Spain, and we have some here, and you can see, after the meeting, in 

 what tine condition they are. Some of these grapes are iMalagas and 

 were packed in September, being now a little more than three months 

 that they have been packed. We always test these grapes out after we 

 take them out of the drum, out of storage, and about a week later in 

 order to find out how much deterioration there has been during that 

 time, and we find that there is very little deterioration, if they have been 

 kept in a cold place after unpacking ; but after a week, the deterioration 

 is C[uite rapid. If there are any questions I can answer about this work 

 I shall be glad to do so. 



Mr. Ashbury. At what temperature are they put down ? 



Mr. Risser. It is hard to say exactly, about 32 degrees I should say, 

 but we have experimented at different temperatures. The common prac- 

 tice was to ship under ice to the east. Some that are packed are being 

 held here of course, but only a small amount. 



Mr. Ashbury. Have you experimented on taking the grapes out of 

 the sawdust and then putting them back, and what has been the result ? 



Mr. Risser. It has been our experience so far if we take them out and 

 put them back in storage they will go down very rapidly. It is necessary 

 to keep them right in that sawdust in which they are packed until ready 

 for use. That would be the proper way, at least that would be my 

 opinion as to that. 



^Ir. Swett. You think that cold storage is necessary or advisable 

 with the Almeria grape ? There is no cold storage used with the grapes 

 shipped from Spain, is there ? 



Mr. Risser. They are shipped without ice to this country and held in 

 cold storage. Whether the grapes in California or the common grapes 

 grown here would l)e different I don 't know. 



]\Ir. Swett. They were held in cold storage and also without, is that 

 it ? 



Mr. Risser. That has been tried before I entered the work. Tliere 

 have been a good many experiments conducted before my time. 



Mr. Swett. About ten or fifteen years ago there were some investi- 

 gations conducted by the Stanford University and there was found to be 

 gi^at variation in the type of grapes in the same vineyards. That is, 

 they were not necessarily absolutely distinct varieties, but different 

 strains, and I think it Avould be highly advisable if California ever 

 wanted to grow that kind of grape to send again to Spain and select 

 cuttings from the best type of this grape. About twenty-five years ago 

 cuttings were imported into California and you have some of that type 



