SHIPMENT OF ORANGES FROM FLORIDA. 



19 



INSPECTIONS OF PICKING CREWS AND FOREMEN. 



Careful inspections of the work being done in different parts of the State have been 

 made during practically every season since the work haa been in progress. Table II 

 and its accompanying diagram (fig. 3) show the average percentages of imperfections 



found in the work of a num- 

 ber of picking crews in the 

 course of the comprehen- 

 Ve.sTo ■■2.75^ sive field inspections made 



^ o Tx- M, i i- 4.T, J- t ■ <• +• • 4-1, by the department investi- 



FiG. 3. — Diagram illustrating the percentage of imperfections m the •' ■^. 



work of a number of picking crews inspected during 1910-11 and gators durmg the seasons 



1911-12. of 1910-11 and 1911-12. 



Table II.- 



-Imperfections in the worh of a number of picking creivs inspected during 

 1910-11 and 1911-12. 



Class of imperfections. 



1910-11 1 



Clipper cuts 

 Long stems - 

 PuUed 



Per cent. 

 4.2 

 12.9 

 2.8 



Per cent. 

 3.3 



18.3 

 2.7 



1 Averages of 64 inspections of 61 crews. 



2 Averages of 35 inspections of 34 crews. 



Since the crews which were inspected were located in different sections of the State, 

 the percentages given in the table and graphically shown in figure 3 as the averages 

 of all inspections represent very closely the type of work being done throughout Florida; 

 they indicate the necessity for more careful attention to the details of picking and to 

 the organization of the picking crews. This seems the most difficult reform to bring 

 about, yet no permanent improvement in the carrying quality of Florida oranges will 

 be reached until the field-handling operations are completely changed. 



It is also necessary to devote more attention to inspecting the work of individual 

 pickers. Table III and its accompanying diagram (fig. 4) show the results of the 



CJ?£I/I/ PA/D 



A/-? Br 



CUPPER 

 CUTS 



Fig. 4. — Diagram illustrating the percentage of imperfections in the work of different picking crews 

 paid by the day and by the box, showing the variation in injury, 1910-11. 



inspections of different picking crews in different parts of the State and are presented 

 to show that good work is possible. Crews Nos. 1 and 2 were- doing practically perfect 

 work, but the work of crews Nos. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 was far from perfect. The percent- 

 ages of long stems for which these last crews were responsible ranged from 11.4 to 30.6 

 per cent. 



