42 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 447 



In preparation for market, the berries first go through a separator. There are 

 several makes of these machines. Those used on Cape Cod ana largely elsewhere 

 (Figs. 36 and 37) have a hopper at the top to receive the berries, a blower to 

 clean them of chaff, several bounding boards to separate the decayed from the 

 sound fruit, and a grading device. 



Much of the fruit of the early shipments is often so sound that it may be 

 packed for shipping as it comes from the separator. Mosl of the berries, how- 

 ever, must be hand-sorted. Women do this work, mostly on moving belts 

 (Fig. 38), in a well-lighted and comfortabK- warm room which is walled ofT from 

 the cooler storage and packing rooms. The berries pass through this sorting 

 room too quickh- to warm up much. The fruit must be shipped as soon as ii is 

 packed for it deteriorates faster after it is sorted than before. 



It is best not to sort or pack the berries on wet days, for they collect moisture 

 in damp weather and are more likely to rot in transit if they are packed moist. 

 The fruit was formerly shipped almost entirely in barrels, but now the quarter- 

 barrel box and small cellophane bags are the principal packages. The cranberry 

 barrel contains about 90 dry quarts, its dimensions being fixed by law. The box 

 containers must be shaken well and the berries heaped slightly and pressed down 

 in packing (Fig. 39) so that they may not come lo market "slack-packed." 

 Slack-packed berries are shunned by the trade because they lack in quantity and 

 their keeping quality is impaired b\- thrashing. The weight of the berries in a 

 ([uarter-barrel box ranges from 23 to 26 pounds, varying with the variety and 

 condition of the fruit. 



MARKETING 



Much of the Cape crop is sold through a co-operative, the New England Cran- 

 berry' Sales Companyi^ Other companies, in Wisconsin, New Jersey, and on 

 the Pacific Coast, affiliated with the New England company in the American 

 Cranberry Exchange'^, handle berries from those areas. This organization is 

 well managed and helps the trade greatly by extensive advertising and by watch- 

 ing the cranberry markets throughout the United States and Canada and dis- 

 tributing the berries as they are needed, so preventing gluts. It has central 

 packing houses and experienced inspectors, and the berries it handles are tested 

 for keeping quality in incubators and packed uniformly under different brands 

 according to their varieties and qualities. It establishes opening prices, basing 

 them on careful studies of conditions, and pools most of its fruit. It has fostered 

 research which showed that cranberries have important healthful properties, and 

 distributes selected cranberry recipes gratis. 



There are also a few independent distributing agencies, some of them very 

 efficient. Considerable fruit is consigned. Buyers for cash are around every year. 



PRESERVING 



Owing mainly to the enterprise and energy of the cranberry growers directing 

 the National Cranberry Association i^, the preserving of this fruit has become a 

 great industry (Fig. 40). Nearly its whole development has taken place since 

 1925. Now over half of the crop of the country goes into cans as sauce or into 

 bottles for beverages. Some of the fruit is dried, but this excellent product has 

 found only particular and limited markets. Most cranberries of doubtful keep- 

 ing quality now go to preservers, leaving only reliable stock for the fresh fruit 

 trade. 



1^ Office at Middleboro, Mass. 



^* Office at 90 West Broadway, New York City. 



'" Office at South Hanson, Mass. 



