24 



BULLETIN 274^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



8.9, 7.4, and 14.6 per cent of decay for the commercially handled 

 berries for the same periods. The after-withdrawal inspections are 

 equally striking. There was less decay (2.7 per cent) in the care- 

 fully handled fruit at the end of eight days than in that commercially 

 handled at the end of but four days (3.9 per cent). These results so 

 fully corroborate those obtained during the season of 1911 that fur- 

 ther discussion is unnecessary. 



Table II. — Decay in carefully handled and commercially handled red raspber- 

 ries shipped to Grand Forks, N. Dak., in 1912. 



Time in iced car. 



Decay on withdrawal. 



Carefully 

 handled. 



Commercially 

 handled. 



Decay 1 day after withdrawal. 



Carefully 

 handled. 



Commercially 

 handled. 



4 days 

 6 days 

 8 days 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



3.9 



7.4 



14.6 



Per cent. 



Per cent. 



9.7 

 19.8 

 31.3 



WHAT CONSTITUTES CAREFUL HANDLING. 



In view of the superior carrying qualities of the carefully handled 

 fruit and the marked advantage that its better market-holding prop- 

 erties give it, it may well be asked, What constitutes careful han- 

 dling? This can best be answered by a description of the methods 

 used in picking the specially and carefully handled lots. 



Special care was taken to remove the berries from the bushes with- 

 out breaking or crushing them and to place each berry in a cup 

 immediately, in order to avoid mashing it in the hand. Bruising in 

 picking can be avoided to a great extent by using three fingers on 

 each berry instead of two. When only two fingers are used, the 

 pressure is concentrated at two points on the berry, while the use of 

 three fingers distributes the pressure more evenly and very greatly 

 lessens the liability to injury, provided no more pressure than is 

 necessary is used to separate the cap from the receptacle. Great 

 care was exercised to place all overripe berries in separate cups and 

 to put none but sound, unbroken, uninjured, and properly matured 

 berries into cups and crates intended for long-distance shipment. 

 Berries may be considered properly matured as soon as they will 

 slip off the core without breaking. The frequency of picking also 

 is a factor in careful handling. Proper handling, as above described, 

 is comparatively a simple matter where the pickings are made 

 sufficiently close together to avoid having an undue proportion of 

 overripe berries in the yard. If a grower gets behind in the pick- 

 ing, careful handling is much more difficult of accomplishment, 

 owing to the great quantity of " overripes." The filled crates were 

 hauled to the receiving station or ca.r in spring wagons and covered 



