92 GARDEN FARMING 



specialized industries, for in 1905 it produced a head of cabbage 

 for every inhabitant of the nation. 



Preparing for shipment. In the transportation of perishable 

 products, the great distances covered and the changes in climate 

 to which the products are subjected in transit have made it 

 necessary to develop certain types of packages to meet these con- 

 ditions. The style of package is determined by the character and 

 value of the product. Strawberries deteriorate so quickly under 

 certain conditions that in order to transport them successfully the 

 fruit, after being cooled as rapidly and completely as possible in 

 some shaded, airy place, must be carefully selected, graded, and 

 packed in wooden quart cups, which are arranged compactly in a 

 compartment provided with division slats to separate one tier of 

 boxes from another. After the storage space has been filled, an 

 ice pan is put in position and the case is removed to a cool, airy 

 place to reduce the temperature of the fruit. Before the carrier is 

 placed on the train, the ice is replenished so that the temperature 

 inside the case will remain practically constant during shipment. 

 This is the most elaborate and expensive type of carrier used in 

 transporting truck crops. 



Styles of packages. The " barrel high " Delaware basket is the 

 favorite throughout the Atlantic coast region for transporting let- 

 tuce, cucumbers, peas, and beans. Cabbage and beets are usually 

 packed in crates constructed of rough lumber. Potatoes are either 

 barreled or sacked, while spinach is either barreled or shipped in 

 the " barrel high " Delaware baskets. Kale is carried in ventilated 

 barrels. Tomatoes grown in the. Atlantic coast region are most 

 often wrapped and shipped in six-basket carriers of the style used 

 for peaches, while those grown in Texas and California are wrapped 

 and packed in shallow compartment trays or boxes. Late cabbage 

 and potatoes grown at the North for autumn delivery are generally 

 shipped in bulk. Cattle cars are often employed for bulk cabbage 

 and for watermelons. Early in the season potatoes are sometimes 

 shipped in relined cattle cars, but they are usually shipped in cars 

 like those used for grain ; during the winter insulated refrigerator 

 cars are employed, which are provided with oil stoves to prevent 

 freezing if the weather is severe. Cucumbers have been successfully 

 transported in bulk from Texas to Boston in refrigerator cars which 



