18 



BULLETIN 35, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



employed the crosspieces must be so placed that the pressure applied 

 in tightening comes against the heads and bottoms of the drums; 

 otherwise, the thin veneer sides of the packages will be crushed. 



SELECTION OF GRAPES FOR STORAGE. 



Those varieties of grapes which have open bunches are most suit- 

 able for storage purposes. Flame Tokay and similar compact 

 varieties do not pack well for storage, because it is almost impossible 

 to have the sawdust particles reach the interior of the bunches or to 



dislodge them after- 

 wards. Further 

 qualifications neces- 

 sary for good storage 

 grapes are adherence 

 of the berries to the 

 stems and the preser- 

 vation of flavor and 

 appearance during a 

 considerable length 

 of time. 



Only fruit of the 

 best quality can be 

 profitably held in 

 storage. Inferior 

 grades deteriorate 

 rapidly and retain 

 neither their fresh 

 appearance ncr their 

 flavor long enough to 

 pay for the extra 

 cost of handling. 

 The packing of 

 grapes in this way is 

 expensive, and it is 

 therefore essential to devote the most painstaking attention to the 

 proper preparation of the, fruit. The grapes must be very care- 

 fully picked, handled, and packed in order to insure their being 

 placed in the drums in sound condition. The berries should be free 

 from blemishes, and the bunches should be most carefully culled in 

 order to eliminate all imperfections. Tt must be remembered that 

 redwood sawdust can not improve the grade of fruit packed in it, 

 and that while this material will delay for a time the decay of 

 unsound berries it can not prevent the development of mold on 

 those which have been injured in any way. 



Fig. 7. — Drums of grapes in a refrigerator car, showing the 

 method of bracing employed in the middle of the car. 

 The crosspieces are so placed that the pressure applied 

 in tightening comes against the heads and bottoms of 

 the drums. 



