12 BULLETIN" 331, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



any considerable time either in the field or warehouse before shipping 

 only gives added opportunity for decay to start in bruises and in- 

 juries, while the ripening processes also proceed more rapidly under 

 these high temperatures and result in quicker decay and deteriora- 

 tion. Leaving the fruit in the field for several hours, especially dur- 

 ing hot weather, will seriously affect the shipping quality of such 

 tender and perishable fruits as cherries. In the handling of cherries 

 for shipment it is essential that the fruit be hauled in promptly after 

 picking, that it be packed as soon as received at the packing house, 

 and immediately cooled, loaded, and shipped. 



SUMMARY OF THE CHERRY INVESTIGATIONS. 



When the large acreage of recently planted sweet cherries in the 

 Willamette Valley comes into bearing, the production will be greatly 

 increased. If, therefore, cherries can be successfully shipped and 

 disposed of in a fresh state, there would be provided a wider and 

 possibly a more profitable outlet for a considerable proportion of 

 the cherry crop. 



The shipment of cherries in a fresh state for long distances has 

 been more or less unsuccessful, owing to the development of a large 

 amount of decay and deterioration in transit and on the market. 

 This decay is due to fungi which gain entrance to and attack the 

 fruit through mechanical abrasions made in handling, to splitting 

 due to rainy weather at harvesting time, or to brown-rot, which 

 infects the fruit in the orchard. 



The results of these investigations demonstrate conclusively that 

 the losses due to mold fungi gaining entrance through mechanical 

 abrasions and injuries can be largely prevented by the exercise of 

 proper care in picking, hauling, and packing, and in the careful 

 grading out of all injured, stemless, and cracked fruit. 



Precaution should be taken not to bruise the fruit in the hand 

 when picking, when transferring it to the picking pail or bucket, or 

 when emptying it from the picking receptacle into the field box. 



During the time the fruit is held in the orchard after picking, it 

 should be kept in the shade. The wagons for hauling should be 

 provided with good springs and the load covered with canvas, in 

 order to protect the fruit from the sun and dirt. 



At the time of packing, the fruit should be carefully graded, so as 

 to eliminate all stemless and cracked or split fruit. All cracked and 

 stemless fruits included in the packing boxes are almost certain to 

 decay, either from mold fungi or brown- rot. 



If the fruit is packed in the ordinary 10-pound boxes, the greatest 

 care must be exercised in putting in facing layers to prevent the 

 bruising, injury, or breaking down of the internal structure of the 

 fruit. 



