300 INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF VITICULTURE 



mate and effective added insurance against decay due to many unforeseen 

 conditions arising while the car is in transit, and from that standpoint is 

 alone worth while; but in no sense can it be regarded as a substitute for 

 proper, careful handling methods. 



Local Demonstrations. 



A duplicate of each of the experimental series shipped to New York was 

 prepared and held in a refrigerator car side-tracked at Lodi, and iced as far 

 as possible to imitate actual transit conditions. The different lots were held 

 in the iced car for a period of ten days, the average time of the transconti- 

 nental trip. The series were then withdrawn and a careful inspection and 

 determination of the decay, injuries and shelled berries were made just as 

 was done in New York with the fruit actually shipped. Inspections were 

 likewise made on the third, fifth and seventh days after withdrawal from the 

 car. This local demonstration was made in order to enable the growers and 

 packers actually to see the condition of the fruit handled in different ways. 

 The plan followed was to invite the growers and packers to see the inspec- 

 tions and demonstrations. Very few of the growers and fewer of the packers 

 ever have the opportunity of seeing the condition of their fruit after it has 

 been through the period necessary to reach distant markets. Many ex- 

 pressed disbelief in the occurrence of decay in their fruit, thinking that the 

 reports of losses due to this cause were mere subterfuges on the part of 

 the receivers and purchasers of the fruit to depress the prices paid the 

 producer. 



The demonstrations of packed fruit handled in different ways were 

 attended by hundreds of growers and packers during the shipping seasons, 

 and for the time being, at least, the great differences shown in the lots 

 handled in different ways served as very impressive object lessons. 



This form of local demonstration was found to be an effective means of 

 impressing upon the various agencies engaged in the activities of grape 

 growing, packing and shipping the importance and significance of the lessons 

 learned from the results of the work. As stated above, many doubted the 

 existence or occurrence of decay. Those who were in a position to know 

 that decay occurred, frequently accepted it as the inevitable, which like the 

 Scourges of Old were to be accepted with Christian fortitude and meekness. 

 It is safe to say that little or no impression could have been made upon the 

 industry without those engaged in the various operations having an oppor- 

 tunity actually to see the results and judge for themselves the importance 

 of the various factors brought out. There is nothing like an ocular demon- 

 stration in impressing the layman. 



It was thus the policy of the Department investigators to keep the in- 

 dustry fully acquainted with the progress of the work and the results were 

 imparted just as rapidly as accurate and consistent records were obtained. 

 In addition to the ocular demonstrations referred to, meetings were held at 

 the close of the seasons, and in these sessions the results were fully ex- 

 plained to the assembled growers. The data were carefully analyzed and 

 systematized and the importance of the various facts resulting therefrom 

 were fully discussed. Graphic presentations of the data, arranged and com- 

 pared from different viewpoints were used in the discussion. This was found 

 to be a most effective method of presentation as in no other way could the 

 relationships of the various factors be so clearly shown. 



