MARKETING THE CROPS 245 



Shipping packages. 



The most common package for table-grapes in California is a 

 square basket holding about five pounds. These baskets are 

 placed for shipment in fours in crates. The bunches of some 

 varieties may be too large for these small baskets, and these 

 extra large-clustered grapes are packed in oblong baskets hold- 

 ing in the neighborhood of eight pounds, two baskets filling a 

 crate. No good filler seems yet to have been devised for 

 packing grapes in California. The cork dust in which grapes 

 from the ^lediterranean are received is not available and a 

 good substitute has not yet been found. Sawdust is sometimes 

 used but has not proved satisfactory in holding the decay and 

 the fruit absorbs disagreeable flavors from the wood. Occa- 

 sionally, however, grapes from California are sent to eastern 

 markets packed in dry redwood sawdust and these seem to 

 come through in good condition and not to have absorbed a 

 disagreeable flavor. Reports seem to indicate that this specially 

 selected redwood sawdust is proving much better than the 

 ordinary sawdust experimented with some years ago. 



Shipping. 



Considerable work has been done by the United States 

 Department of Agriculture to determine how table-grapes could 

 best be shipped from the far West and reach the eastern mar- 

 kets in good condition. The crop is, of course, shipped in re- 

 frigerator cars and much depends on the cooling of these cars 

 and especially on the temperature at which the grapes are kept 

 while in transit. To carry well over the 3000 miles of mountain 

 and desert, heat and cold, the best type of refrigerator car 

 must be uised. It does not appear that the pre-cooling so ad- 

 vantageous to citrous and other tree-fruits is worth the trouble 

 and expense with table-grapes, as it does not seem to prevent 

 decay. Cooling cannot be substituted for careful handling. 



