28 



BULLETIN 63, U. S, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



P/C/< >^A/0 -^M Off 







packing, and decay was determined by actual count. In house No. 1 the carefully 

 handled fi'uit, not washed, was held for two weeks with only 1.1 per cent of decay, while 

 the washed lot of the same fruit developed 14.1 per cent. The carefully handled 

 oranges, not washed and washed, showed 0.8 per cent and 1 per cent of decay, respec- 

 tively, in house No. 2. The commercially handled fruit, not washed, in house No. 1 

 developed 4.7 per cent of decay after two weeks, while in house No. 2 this class of fruit 



showed only 1.2 per cent of 

 decay. There was 39.5 per 

 cent of decay in the washed 

 lots of commercially han- 

 dled fruit from house No. 1, 

 but in house No. 2 only 1.3 

 per cent of the fruit handled 

 in the same way showed de- 

 cay at the end of two weeks. 

 The significance of the ef- 

 fects of rough field handling and subsequent poor manipulation of the machinery is 

 amply shown, and the practicability of carrying on washing operations with care suffi- 

 cient to reduce decay to a minimum is likewise demonstrated. 



Table XI. — Blue-mold decay in oranges, washed and not washed, from two houses in the 

 same locality after holding the fruit for two weeks in the packing houses, 1910-11. 







/£>5S 



Fig. 12. — Diagram illustrating the percentage of blue-mold decay 

 in oranges, washed and not washed, from two houses in the same 

 locality, after holding the fruit for two weeks in the packing houses, 

 1910-11. 



Packing houses and treat- 

 ment. 



Careful 



pick and 



pack. 



Commer- 

 cial pick 

 and pack. 



Packing houses and treat- 

 ment. 



Careful 



cial pick 



pack. 



Commer- 

 cial pick 

 and pack. 



House No. 1: 



Not washed 



Percent. 



• 1.1 

 14.1 



Per cent. 



4.7 



• 39.5 



House No. 2: 



Not washed 



Per cent. 

 0.8 

 1.0 



Per cent. 

 1.2 



Washed .-. 



Washed...^ 



1.3 







luthe bureau investigations 12 different types of washing machines and one sawdust 

 cleaner were used. A few of the machines were of such evident impracticability that 

 they were rapidly going out of use, and of those which gave satisfactory results it is 

 manifestly impossible to name any one which is best suited for all purposes. The 

 quantity of fruit to be handled and the nature of the work to be performed are impor- 

 tant factors which must be considered in determining the value of any machine. 

 When purchasing this part of the equipment, it is important to choose the type of 

 machine which will do the best work from the standpoint of careful handling and 

 will eliminate, as far as is possible, the detrimental results of wasliing. 



Some of the features which should be avoided in washing machines are as follows: 



(1) Completely inclosed brushes. The fruit should be in plain sight at all times. 



(2) Pressure on the fruit other than that afforded by the weight of the fruit itself. 



(3) Opportunity for the fruits to tumble over or rub against one another to any great 

 extent. 



(4) Any arrangement of brushes, mats, etc., which allows twigs, thorns, nails, etc., 

 to become lodged in the runway tlirough which the fruit must pass. 



Any one of these featiu-es may be the means of much injury, especially in houses 

 where careful attention to the operation of the machinery is not given at all times, or 

 where the field-handling operations have been more or less careless. 



IMPORTANCE OF DRYING. 



Fruit should never be packed while moist or wet. Moisture is one of the prime 

 requisites ffir the development of decay, and, as the temperature of the fruit during 

 the Florida packing season is usually high enough to facilitate the germination of the 



i 



