SHIPMENT OF ORANGES FEOM FLORIDA. 



41 



Table XX. — Imperfections in picking and the percentage of blue-mold decay of fruit on 

 arrival in Washington and after holding for three weeks, shipped from one packing house 

 during 1910-11 and 1911-12, showing decrease in blue-mold decay due to greater care in 

 handling. 





Picking inspections. 



Time of exam- 

 ination. 



Experimental shipments. 



Class of imper- 

 fections. 



1910-11 



1911-12 



1910-11 1 



1911-12 2 





Jan. 17. 



Mar. 3. 



Dec. 13. 



Careful. 



Commer- 

 cial. 



Careful. 



Commer- 

 cial. 



Clipper cuts 



Long stems 



Pulled . . . 



Per cent. 



11.3 



23.0 



1.0 



Per cent. 

 5.7 

 11.9 

 5.1 



Per cent. 



1.8 



10.4 



1.4 



On arrival 



After Iweek.. 

 After 2 weeks. 

 After 3 weeks. 



Per cent. 



0.2 



.6 



.8 



1.3 



Per cent. 

 8.0 

 12.6 

 15.3 



15.8 



Per cent. 



0.3 



.9 



1.2 



1.5 



Per cent. 

 1.1 

 2.4 

 2.8 





4.1 



1 Fruit picked Feb. 1, 1911. 



2 Fruit picked Dec. 13, 1911. 



cuppE/? ctrrs WBS^BKM^/s % 



LONG STEMsWBBttlK^K^Kik 

 PULLED W-O Yo 



\S.I% 



EXf=>Ef?/ME/^T/^L SH/P/^ENTS. 



^ — — — -<|/5:<9 



It will be noticed that in 1910-11 (fig. 23) the total imperfections in the field 

 handling amounted to 35.3 per cent at the first inspection and 22.7 per cent at the 

 second. The average percentage of decay in the commercial shipments was 8 per cent 

 on arrival at Washington, the carefully handled lots developing 0.2 per cent. In 

 1911-12 (fig. 24) the field 

 work, while far from perfect, 

 was considerably improved, 

 the inspections showing 13.6 

 per cent of imperfections. 

 The commercially handled 

 fruit showed 1.1 per cent of 

 decay on arrival, and the lots 

 prepared by the bureau 

 workers had 0.3 per cent. 

 After holding the fruit in 

 Washington for three weeks 

 the commercially handled 

 oranges developed 15.8 per 

 cent of decay during 1910-11 

 and 4.1 per cent during 

 1911-12. When it is con- 

 sidered that the variation in 

 the percentage of decay for 

 these two seasons may easily 

 mean a difference between 

 profit and loss in the sale of 

 the fruit from this house, the 

 data presented become par- 

 ticularly impressive. It 

 would be difficult to assem- 

 ble a stronger array of facts 

 than those brought together in this figure to illustrate the fundamental importance of 

 preserving the sound carrying quality of oranges. The significance of the connection 

 between field handling and the occurrence of decay during transit is definitely shown, 

 as well as the practicability of improving conditions by means of more systematic man- 

 agement. This presentation should be sufficient to convince even the most skep- 

 tical that loss from decay in the shipment of Florida oranges is dependent upon the 

 character of handling given the fruit in field and packing house. 



Fig. 23.— Diagram illustrating the percentage of imperfections in 

 picking and the percentage of blue-mold decay of oranges on 

 arrival in Washington and after holding for three weeks, in fruit 

 shipped from one packiug house, showing decrease in blue-mold 

 decay due to greater care in handling, 1910-11. 



