330 



THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



25 per cent ; above standard, over 75 per cent of the samples are well colored. In Los 

 Angeles County, samples having a ratio below 6-1, over 2t> per cent are well colored. 

 Those having a ratio between (i-7, over 50 per cent are well colored: those with a 

 ratio of 7-8, nearly 90 per cent are well colored, while samples above standard are 

 practically all fully colored. In Orange County none of the samples below ratio 

 of 7-1 were substantially colored ; 9 out of 15 samples with a ratio between 7-8 had 

 reached that color, while all of the above standard samples were well colored. In San 

 Bernardino County, 10 out of 21 samples with a ratio of G-7 were well colored; 

 35 out of 38 with a ratio of 7-8, and over 90 per cent of the standard samples were 

 well colored. In Riverside County, also over 90 per cent of the samples were 

 substantially colored. In Ventura County, all of the samples examined were fully 

 colored, 4 out of OS having a rati., of 6-1 to 7-1; 11 having a ratio of 7-1 to 8-1 ; 

 and 53 being above standard. 



In considering these data as a whole, it will be interesting to compare the averages 

 obtained on all the samples fur the period during which work was carried on. These 

 averages, together with the number of samples, are given in the following table : 



Butte County _. 



Sacramento County 



Placer County 



Fresno County 



Tulare County 



Ventura County 



Los Angeles County 



Orange County 



San Bernardino County- 

 Riverside County _ 



Averages 



Number 

 samples 



110 

 96 

 22 

 (.7 



MS 



(.8 

 582 



73 

 358 

 172 



12.17 

 11.17 

 12.32 

 11.49 

 11.91 

 13.12 

 1247 

 12.IKI 

 12.95 

 12.6) 



12.25 



Italic. 



7.3 

 U.t 

 6.5 

 9.6 

 9.3 

 9.4 

 9.1 

 9.7 

 9.9 

 ll.ii 



8.S 



SUMMARY. 



The introduction of sliding scale standards would not allow any considerable 

 increase in the early shipments of oranges. While certain limited localities might 

 increase early shipments by such changes in the present standard, the increase in 

 shipments would be comparatively insignificant. The adoption of a sliding scale 

 based on 13 per cent or 12S per cent soluble solids would have very little effect upon 

 the industry. 



The adoption of a color standard will permit the shipment of a considerable 

 quantity of oranges which have not reached the S-l test in a great majority of the 

 districts, and in a few districts will permit the shipment of very immature and sour 

 oranges. 



STANDARDIZATION OF PLUM AND PRUNE PACK. 



By Charles Rayburn, Placerville. Cal. 



This article is intended to deal with the necessity of standardization in the 

 pack of plums and prunes for commercial sale, either in the Eastern markets or 

 elsewhere, in so far :is I he same applies to the grower of the Placerville district. 



Si. far as the writer knows we have always, during the past twenty years at least, 

 used the so-called regular Eastern four-basket crate, each basket in the crate 

 measuring S inches square at the top and 5i inches square at the bottom and usually 

 3| inches deep. The baskets are so shaped for the principal purpose of allowing 

 them In he telescoped for shipping and it also allows ventilating space around them 

 when in the container and filled with fruit. A regular pack of plums and prunes 

 calls for three layers in each basket — the stem end being down, or, at least, out 

 of sight. 



During the early days of deciduous fruit packing for Eastern markets many growers 

 packed and are still packing their plums and prunes with the small sizes in the 

 bottom of the basket and the large ones in the middle top layer, and the difference 



