420 BROOKLYN BOTANIC GARDEN MEMOIRS 



two years, it has been found that "leak," a decay caused by Rhizopus, 

 which is the most rapid-growing destructive organism attacking this 

 fruit, can be controlled by proper methods of picking, handling, and 

 shipping. Rhizopus spores seem to be practically omnipresent and 

 it is impossible to eliminate them. All handling of strawberries must, 

 therefore, be based upon the assumption of their presence. The 

 fungus, however, cannot gain entrance through the uninjured tissues 

 and does not develop seriously at a temperature below 45-50° F. 

 Southern-grown strawberries having fair natural shipping qualities, 

 carefully picked and handled, and not subjected to too high tempera- 

 tures before shipment, can with proper refrigeration and transportation 

 be delivered in northern markets in good condition. If a carload of 

 strawberries shows much "leak" at destination, it may be due to 

 delay or rough handling of cars in transit, and faulty refrigeration; 

 or it may be due to improper treatment by the grower or shipper. 

 Only a full knowledge of all the facts in any particular case can deter- 

 mine the exact cause or causes and responsibility. The presence of 

 the fungus on the fruit at destination is not sufficient to throw the 

 blame on the grower or shipper. 



Brown Rot of Peaches 



The brown-rot fungus, Sclerotinia cinerea, which is one of the most 

 serious causes of decay of peaches, is very common and widely distrib- 

 uted and is found in practically all peach orchards in humid regions. 

 It is doubtful whether a shipment of peaches grown in such a region 

 could be found which did not contain spores of this organism. Not- 

 withstanding the general presence of this fungus on peaches, if the 

 fruit is picked at the proper stage of development, and properly 

 handled, packed and refrigerated in transit, such fruit may, and 

 usually does, reach distant markets and the consumer in good condi- 

 tion. The fact that a carload of peaches arrives at destination in a 

 decayed condition and the brown-rot fungus is present, does not 

 necessarily indicate that the grower is to blame for the loss. 



Mr. J. A. Ruddick,^ Canadian Dairy and Cold Storage Commis- 

 sioner, states that Canadian peaches from the Niagara district 

 are successfully shipped from Canada to Liverpool and London, the 

 time in transit to London being twelve days, and also that in 1910 

 twenty-three thousand cases were shipped from Cape Town, South 

 Africa, to London, arriving in good condition. Seventeen days was 

 the minimum time in transit. Other shipments from the same place 



' Ruddick, J. A. Cold storage for apples and other fruit. Evidence of Mr. J. 

 A. Ruddick before the Select Standing Committee on Agriculture and Colonization, 

 1910-11, pp. 106-109. Ottawa, 191 1. 



