STORAGE OF CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPES. 29 



COST OF THE DRUM-SAWDUST PACK. 



The cost of packing the grapes in drums with a filler of redwood 

 sawdust, as determined by one of the leading shippers during the 

 season of 1912-13, was as follows: 



Drum $0. 33 



Sawdust __ . 20 



Packiug and hauling . 20 



Loading . 03 



Total f. o. b. cost .76 



Freight , . 57 



Refrigeration in transit . 15 



Total cost at eastern market 1.48 



The freight charge is based on a rate of $1.15 per hundred pounds 

 to New York, figuring the drums at 50 pounds gross weight, al- 

 though in some places they were listed at a lower average weight. 

 The cost of refrigeration is based on a charge of $90 per carload of 

 600 drums. Storage charges in New York and Jersey City during 

 1912-13 were 10 cents per drum per month, but it is reported that 

 this rate will be increased next season. The commission charges 

 at New York were 7 per cent of the selling price. Therefore, when 

 grapes were held two months in storage the cost laid down at the 

 auction sale, as estimated above, was $1.68 per drum. 



On a basis of 35 pounds of grapes per drum, an auction price of 

 $3 yields a net price of 3.17 cents per pound, or $63.40 per ton. A 

 price of $2.80 per drum yields 2.63 cents per pound, or $52.60 per 

 ton. 



It is safe to assume that the cost of the sawdust and of the drums 

 will be reduced when the demand increases sufficiently to warrant 

 the manufacture of the packages in large quantities and the prepa- 

 ration of the sawdust on a large scale. 



CONCLUSION. 



The prices obtained during the season of 1912-13 for California 

 grapes packed in redwood sawdust may be considered as very satis- 

 factory on the whole. Owing to unusual weather conditions during 

 the latter part of the packing season Emperor grapes were held on 

 the vines exceptionally late and the fruit packed in crates reached 

 the eastern markets in unusually fine shape until late in December. 

 The sawdust-packed fruit in drums was compelled to meet compe- 

 tition from the crate stock in a way that will not be experienced in 

 normal seasons. In addition, the sales of the Emperor grapes packed 

 in cork, as previously noted, had a demoralizing effect on the sales 

 of the fruit properly packed in sawdust. The cork-packed grape's 



