UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



j\jy"^mru 



BULLETIN No. 331 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOK, Chief 



sUV^Fmru 



Washington, D. C. 



January 10, 1916 



THE HANDLING AND SHIPPING OF FRESH CHERRIES AND 

 PRUNES FROM THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY. 1 



By H. J. Ramsey, 

 Pomologist in Charge of Fruit Handling and Storage Investigations. 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 



Introduction 1 



Purpose of the investigations 2 



Outline of the experiments 3 



Page. 



Causes of decay in transit 4 



Cherry investigations 4 



Prune investigatinos 13 



INTRODUCTION. 



There is a large bearing acreage of prunes in the district adjacent 

 to Salem, Oreg., as well as in the Willamette Valley generally, and 

 during the last few years there has been planted a considerable 

 acreage of cherries. As a general rule, the prunes are nearly all 

 evaporated, while the cherries are usually canned or put up in bar- 

 rels for maraschino purposes. Only a small percentage of the cherry 

 crop is evaporated. The economic and crop conditions are such that 

 during certain seasons it would be a distinct advantage to market a 

 portion of the crop in a fresh state instead of evaporating or can- 

 ning almost the entire product, as is the case at the present time. 

 Many attempts have been made to ship both fresh prunes and cherries 

 to eastern markets, but with indifferent success. Great difficulty has 

 been encountered in shipping from this section for any considerable 

 distance any of these fruits in a green state. 



The problem is rendered particularly difficult and acute because of 

 the very humid climate of this section and the frequent rains during 

 both the cherry and prune harvesting seasons. The Willamette Val- 



1 B.- B. Pratt and A. W. McKay, formerly pomologists in fruit handling and storage 

 investigations, and G. M. Darrow and G. W. Dewey, of the Office of Horticultural and 

 Pomological Investigations, were all actively engaged in the prosecution of these inves- 

 tigations. 



Note. — This bulletin will be of interest to fruit growers in the Willamette Valley and 

 similar sections. 



10980°— Bull. 331—16 1 



