6 



BULLETIN 686, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE, 



The experiments in 1916 showed that if washed berries are allowed 

 to dry before being packed their shipping quality is injured. To 

 obtain further data on this point three shipments of Klondikes from 

 Hammond, La., to Chicago, 111., were made in April, 1917. The 

 results, which are summarized in Table IV, agree closely with those 

 of the previous year. 



Table IV. — Effect of drying washed strawberries before packing, as shown by shipments 

 of fruit from Hammond, La., to Chicago, III. 



Treatment. 



Number of 

 berries. 



Sound on 

 examina- 

 tion. 



Not washed 



Washed and packed wet 



Washed, dried in shade, and packed 



1,064 

 1,014 

 1,037 



Per cent. 



As already stated, by this treatment the beneficial cooling effect 

 of continued evaporation from the berries is lost, and the harmful 

 effects of softening and extra handling are emphasized. 



Smith and Goodman (13, p. 84; see also 12, p. 17) found that 

 strawberries dried for an hour in a strong current of air from an 

 electric fan carried to market in better condition than those even 

 slightly wet. In order to review the conclusions of these investi- 

 gators, two tests were made at Hammond, La., in which wet berries 

 were fanned before being packed. In one test the berries were pre- 

 pared and held for 24 hours at room temperature, after which they 

 were shipped to Chicago under refrigeration. In the second case 

 they were placed in an iced car for shipment as soon as they were 

 prepared. The results are shown in Table V. 



Table V. — Effect of fanning strawberries before shipment, as shown by two tests of fruit 

 grown at Hammond, La., and shipped to Chicago, III. 



Treatment. 



Held 24 hours without 

 refrigeration before 

 shipment. 



Number of 

 berries. 



Sound on 

 arrival. 



Packed and shipped 

 immediately. 



Number of 

 berries. 



Sound on 

 arrival. 



Not washed or treated 



Not washed, but fanned 1 hour 



Washed and dried in shade 1 hour. 



Washed and packed wet 



Washed and fanned 1 hour 



Per cent. 

 42 



234 

 194 

 164 



192 



184 

 165 

 162 

 186 



Per cent. 



These results and those of other tests (see Table IV; also 12, pp. 

 16-19) indicate that no injury is likely to follow shipping berries wet. 

 As the writers' work was done in Louisiana and Smith and Good- 

 man's in Canada, no very satisfactory basis for a comparison of 

 results is presented. 



