146 MODERN FRUIT MARKETING 



allow for the extra time in shipment, and such fruit 

 as grapes and peaches will never properly ripen when 

 picked too early. 



Where the shipments can reach the markets in a short 

 time, and where better cold storage can be arranged for 

 in transit, the fruit does not need to be picked until 

 it is more mature. Hence, the quality of the grapes 

 and peaches that come from the West have gradually 

 improved from year to year, until now it is possible to 

 get the more perishable fruits from all parts of the 

 country in as good condition as where grown. This is 

 also true of some of the more perishable vegetables from 

 the market sections of the south. 



Ocean freight is a question which, at the present time, 

 is causing considerable discussion among the various 

 fruit shipping organizations. As production increases, 

 outlets must be secured in some of the foreign countries. 

 Until recently, Europe has taken a large proportion of 

 our exports. Now new outlets are sought in other coun- 

 tries such as South America, Australia, South Africa and 

 the Empires of Japan and China. As time goes on, the 

 ocean freight traffic will demand a larger and more care- 

 ful supervision in full consideration of the fruit in- 

 dustry. 



The tendency of the past year or two has been to 

 increase the freight all along the line, both for con- 

 tinental and oceanic traffic. The increase of the foreign 

 *or export trade for the more perishable fruits will mean a 

 corresponding increase in the facilities for handling this 

 fruit in ocean traffic. Better cold storage facilities on the 

 boats must be provided, also better means of loading and 

 unloading the fruit so as to avoid injury in the handling. 



