CAR-LOT SHIPMENTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 5 



In some instances, however, where information as to the exact ship- 

 ping season was not available, it was necessary to use the first and 

 last dates reported for the calendar year. In the few cases where 

 shipping dates were not reported, the season was approximated by 

 references to the dates reported from near-by counties. On those com- 

 modities whose shipping seasons extend from one calendar year to 

 the next, the season for each county was obtained from the report of 

 the first shipment of the season in 1916 and the closing shipment of 

 the season in 1917. In those cases where no reports are on file for 

 1917, both the dates for 1916 are taken. It must be remembered, 

 however, that while the shipping dates on those commodities extend 

 from one year to the next, the number of carloads given is the number 

 shipped during the calendar year 1916. The shipping seasons for 

 dry beans and peas are omitted because the information at hand was 

 too meager to be of any value. The shipping seasons for California 

 citrus fruits are not defined because those commodities are shipped 

 practically the whole year from most of the counties in which they 

 are produced. 



The statistical tables devoted to dry beans and peas fail to convey 

 an adequate idea of the importance -of those crops. Station agents 

 were not requested to include those commodities in their daily reports 

 until the beginning of 1917. Our data for 1916 are very incomplete, 

 being based on reports of shipments voluntarily furnished by the 

 agents. They are also incomplete because much of the movement 

 is in box cars, and complete reports were not available as to the ship- 

 ments from the West in other than refrigerator cars. This last state- 

 ment applies also to shipments of dried fruit, particularly dried 

 prunes, and other commodities which may be forwarded in box cars. 



A large quantity of deciduous fruit is billed from California as 

 "green fruit" because the cars contain various kinds of fruits, such 

 as apricots, cherries, grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, persimmons, 

 plums, pomegranates, and quinces. This explains why, in the table 

 devoted to mixed fruit, such a large number of shipments is credited 

 to California, and why a comparatively small number of cars of the 

 specific deciduous fruits is credited to that State. 



