288 



INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF VITICULTURE 



IMPORTANT FACTORS GOVERNING THE SUCCESSFUL 

 TRANSPORTATION OF TABLE GRAPES. 



By A. V. STUBENRAUCH, 



Professor Pomology in the University of California and Consulting 

 Pomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The investigations which form the basis of the discussions in this paper 

 were carried on while the writer was associated with and in charge of the 

 pomological investigations of the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States 

 Department of Agriculture. They should, therefore, be credited to the 

 activities of the National Department of Agriculture rather than to those of 

 the University of California. It is only fair that this acknowledgment be 

 made at this time. 



The table grape industry of California, like all of the fruit industries 

 of the State, is dependent upon a wide distribution of the product for the 

 profitable sale of the crop. The volume of production has long ago passed 

 the point where any large, proportion of the crop can be consumed in the 

 markets of the State or of neighboring States. The plantings are confined 

 to the vinifera or European type of grapes mostly of the Flame Tokay, 

 Malaga and. Red Emperor varieties. California has almost a monopoly of the 

 production of this class of fruit in the United States. The problems of trans- 

 porting the crops to market are, therefore, problems of wide distribution, 

 and the factors which underlie the successful shipment of the fruit are of the 

 most urgent importance to the growers. 



The production of table grapes in California has increased at a very 

 rapid rate during the past fifteen years. Table I gives the record of the 

 shipments for the years 1902 to 1914, inclusive. In computing the number 

 of crates 980 was used as the average number per carload, and 26 pounds 

 as the weight per crate to determine the number of tons. 



Table I. Shipments of Fresh Grapes from California, 1902-14, Inclusive. 



Crop Year Carloads 



1902... 1,033 



1903 1,804 



1904 1,451 



1905 1,602 



1906 2,052 



1907 3,460 



1908 3,816 



1909 5,875 



1910 4,948 



1911 6,375 



1912 6,355 



1913 6,363 



1914 8,773 



