REPORT OP COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATION 293 



TABLE III. Percentages of decay in Tokay grapes, packed by careful and 



careless handlers, on arrival at New York, and after holding in market 



one week. 



Careful Commercial Careless Commercial 

 Handling. Handling. 



% Decay % Decay 



On arrival at New York 1.0 8.9 



Three days after arrival 2.9 11.5 



Five days after arrival 4.8 24.7 



Seven days after arrival 7.0 30.2 



The figures presented were all obtained from shipments of grapes packed 

 under commercial conditions by the ordinary packers and handlers. The 

 lots were divided into two classes, the subdivision being based upon the 

 character of the work being performed. The same number (5) of growers 

 or packers are represented in each lot; therefore the figures are not the ex- 

 tremes of individual handling but are the averages found in the different 

 vineyards. Those represented in the class of careless handlers were found 

 to be so by close observations and those included under the category of 

 "careful" handlers were likewise found to be doing careful work. In this 

 connection it should be mentioned that the growers represented in the "care- 

 less" class consistently receive poor returns and their fruit was rated as 

 being of poor carrying quality, while the fruit of the growers represented 

 in the "careful" class had a reputation for uniformly good carrying qualities, 

 and the return to the growers were likewise high. 



The figures presented in the table show a consistent relationship be- 

 tween the carrying and market-holding qualities of the fruit handled and 

 packed by the different growers. The fruit shipped by the careful growers 

 arrive in New York with only one per cent decay, while that of the careless 

 packers showed 8.9 per cent decay. The former is well within the limit of 

 commercial soundness, while the carelessly handled lots with an average of 

 8.9 per cent are near the limit of commercial sale, and would have to be 

 sold immediately and consumed quickly. Such fruit would not find ready 

 sale except at a low price. 



The after-arrival behavior of the two classes of fruit is of greater im- 

 portance than the condition on arrival, from the standpoint of the possibility 

 of marketing the different lots to advantage. The lots packed by the careful 

 handlers had barely reached the commercial limit of soundness five days 

 after arrival, while after the same length of time the carelessly handled 

 lots had gone far beyond a condition of marketability. After holding a week, 

 the carefully handled fruit had not reached the condition of decay shown by 

 the carelessly handled on arrival. The influence of careful handling upon 

 market-holding quality after arrival is thus effectively shown. The ad- 

 vantage of this superior market-holding quality cannot be too strongly 

 emphasized. 



Naturally, an increase in the cost of handling is necessary in order to 

 obtain careful work. Just how great an increase is necessary could not be 

 determined, but the cost is insignificant when the benefits obtained are con- 

 sidered. If the matter be considered from the standpoint of the difference 

 in decay between careful and commercial handling, the quantity of fruit 

 actually saved will more than compensate for any increased cost. Using the 



