SHEAR: DISTRIBUTION OF PERISHABLE PLANT PRODUCTS 421 



were made to Canada by way of New York, also arriving in good con- 

 dition and selling at one shilling each. This indicates some of the 

 possibilities of shipping such a perishable fruit as the peach when 

 properly handled and treated, even though "inherently liable to 

 deterioration and decay." 



Stevens, ^° citing the fact that peaches become infected with the 

 brown-rot fungus only in the orchard or before shipment, says: "We 

 may be sure that if infected at destination, shipment was also infected 

 at the starting point. It appears clear to the writer that in both these 

 cases {Sclerotinia libertiana on lettuce being the other case mentioned) 

 the responsibility rests with the shipper just as much as it would if a 

 consignment of horses infected with glanders but not yet showing the 

 disease was placed upon the cars." 



We have been unable to discover facts or data to support the 

 statement that in such fruit responsibility for losses in transit rests 

 entirely with the shipper. Investigations have shown that the brown- 

 rot fungus makes little or no growth at a temperature of 32-35° F. 

 (0-2° C.),^^ and that if the fruit is kept at this temperature brown 

 rot does not develop. Of course, all practical field treatment to reduce 

 infection should be practiced. 



As a result of the above quoted and similar statements some 

 railroad representatives have taken the position that the presence 

 in a shipment of spoiled fruit or vegetables at destination of destructive 

 fungi known to originate in the field, is sufficient to justify the con- 

 clusion that the carrier is free from any responsibility for the loss. 

 Such a general conclusion as this is not in accord with the facts and 

 is fraught with great possibilities of injustice. Every effort should 

 be made to correct this mistake. In the past the transportation 

 companies have undoubtedly paid many unjust claims. Now there 

 seems to be danger of the pendulum swinging to the other extreme, 

 resulting in the rejection of just claims. 



It is possible for transportation companies to prevent any just 

 claims for losses due to destructive fungi by furnishing proper cars 

 and refrigeration service and delivering the products on schedule 

 time. With the recent improvement of refrigerator cars a sufficiently 

 uniform low temperature throughout the load can be maintained to 

 avoid the trouble which so frequently occurs of having variations 

 in temperature, of 20 degrees or more, between the top and bottom 

 of the car, as reported by Ramsey. ^^ Under such conditions decay 



'" Stevens, F. L. Some problems of plant pathology in reference to transporta- 

 tion. Phytopathology 5: 108. Ap. 191 5. 



" Brooks, Chas. and Cooley, J. S. Temperature relations of apple-rot fungi. 

 Jour. Agr. Res. 8: p. 163, Jan. 1917. 



^- Ramsey, H. J., 1. c. 



