TRANSPORTATION 145 



distances to the center of consumption. Where fruit is 

 shipped in carlots, and especially from the South and 

 the West where they run solid trains of fruit, the rail- 

 roads try to carry these upon passenger schedule or 

 what is commonly known as fast freight. 



For the smaller shipments where fruit is carried, not 

 by the carload but in connection with the regular ex- 

 press shipments, they nearly always go in the express 

 cars which run in connection with passenger trains; but 

 where whole trains of fruit are moved, they run on an 

 independent schedule which is somewhat slower than the 

 ordinary passenger time. As the quantity of fruit 

 shipped varies considerably from season to season and 

 from month to month, the railroads have to provide cars 

 a long time ahead and arrange traffic schedules to handle 

 the more perishable goods. They have to provide an 

 enormous number of refrigerator cars, also establish 

 icing stations along the route, and must have large 

 terminal facilities for switching accommodations at the 

 centers of consumption. Then they must arrange a 

 schedule for moving the fruit which will allow it to go 

 through on fast time and have no more delay than is 

 absolutely necessary while in transit. 



From the Pacific to the Atlantic coast, it requires 

 from 12 to 14 days to move a car of fruit. Under the 

 pre-cooling system this has been cut down two or three 

 days, and now the railroads are promising to make the 

 entire journey in as short a time as 10 days. Due largely 

 to the stimulating influence of competing lines, this will 

 very materially affect the quantity and the quality of the 

 fruit shipped. It has been the habit in the South and 

 the West to pick the fruit far too green, in order to 



