V MODERN FRUIT MARKETING 



Deciduous fruit shipped from the Pacific Coast to the 

 Eastern markets consumes about 14 days in transit; 

 from Texas about eight ; f'rom Georgia or Alabama about 

 four ; while in most of the New England or Atlantic states 

 the fruit is picked one day and is in the hands of the con- 

 sumer the next. This gives the Eastern states an enor- 

 mous market advantage for their fruit, and were it not 

 for the fact that the seasonal differences allow the South- 

 ern and Far Western states to ripen their fruit from 10 to 

 30 days ahead of the north, they would be shut out en- 

 tirely from the eastern markets. 



The long time elapsing between the picking and con- 

 suming of the more perishable fruits where the long 

 haul is necessary, compels much of it to be picked be- 

 fore it is sufficiently mature to ripen in the best prime 

 condition. Then, too, the great rush among some of the 

 southern growers to get the first fruit on the market 

 and thus secure the highest prices furnishes an undue 

 incentive to pick half mature fruit. Such fruits as 

 peaches, plums, apricots, and grapes thus picked ar- 

 rive in the northern markets in poor condition. They 

 are lacking in flavor, are acid, flat, and often insipid. 

 Such have had much to do in creating an impression 

 among the consumers in the big cities that certain sec- 

 tions cannot produce fruit as high in quality or flavor 

 as the Northern states. 



When to Pick. The time to pick fruit is largely a 

 matter of judgment. Much has been said and written 

 upon this subject but very little of it is of practical 

 value to the beginner. The maturity of the seed is often 

 given as an indication of the proper time to pick, but 

 this is of little value to the practical man, because the 



