SHIPMENT OF BED KASPBERRIES. 19 



becoming injured, mashed, and broken. The same applies to han- 

 dling in the car or in pony refrigerators. A pony refrigerator (fig. 

 16). when being loaded into an express car, is often tilted at such an 

 angle and so violently jolted that berries are badly mashed and in- 

 jured by rolling around in the cups. Much greater care could easily 

 be exercised even in such a hurry-up job as loading express shipments. 

 Rough, uneven loading platforms are also the cause of considerable 

 injury as the fruit is trucked to the car. 



FREQUENCY OF PICKING. 



It is customary to pick a patch over once a day, although patches 

 ore frequently left two or three days. The pickings should be made 

 sufficiently close together to avoid having any considerable propor- 

 tion of overripe berries. Overripe berries are usually sent to the 

 cannery, but a lot of such berries in a patch makes it extremely diffi- 

 cult to obtain good and proper sorting, the result being that a great 

 many good shipping berries with a few overripe ones in them are 

 sent to the cannery or else are shipped, with the inevitable decay and 

 poor returns as a result. 



RELATION OF RAINFALL TO HANDLING. 



The climatic conditions during a season to a great extent de- 

 termine not only the shipping quality but also the quantity shipped 

 in a fresh state. During wet, rainy periods it is impracticable to 

 pick berries. Much fruit becomes overripe, and if the rainy weather 

 continues for any length of time all the berries will lack the desired 

 firmness, being soft, very tender, and full of moisture. The rains 

 therefore determine largely the fresh-fruit output and are a big 

 factor in the success attained during any one season. Many berries 

 mold on the vines during muggy weather, and all the berries are so 

 extremely tender as to stand practically no pressure or handling 

 without injury. 



RELATION OF METHODS OF GROWING TO KEEPING QUALITY. 



The liability to injury in handling depends to some extent also on 

 the methods of growing and training. The visible evidence in the 

 \ alley seems to indicate that potash used with judgment (ends toward 

 firmer and better keeping berries. This statement is not based on any 

 experimental evidence, but only "ii a general existing belief among 

 the better growers and on observation during the two seasons cov- 

 ered by tin- work. It is, of course, unnecessary to consider all 

 factors in culture that tend t<> produce first class fruit. The 

 desirability and advantage of high quality are unquestioned. Much 



