ACTUAL RESULTS IN CALIFORNIA 149 



pounds. Principally through the pressure brought to bear 

 by the cooperative system the rate was reduced to $1.15 

 a hundred. The lemon rate has been a matter of continual 

 controversy and litigation, and it will be reviewed in con- 

 nection with the activities of the Citrus Protective League. 

 It is enough to note here that the carriers have been forced 

 to establish a rate of $1 a hundred pounds instead of their 

 earlier rates of $1.25 and $1.10. These savings of ten 

 cents a box on, say, 17,000,000 boxes a year are no in- 

 significant tribute to the effectiveness of cooperation. 



The legal aspects of the refrigeration question will be 

 treated with the Citrus Protective League, but the technical 

 aspects are in order here. About half of the oranges and 

 12 to 15 per cent, of the lemons go forward under ice. 

 Thus the refrigeration charges of $62.50 to $75 a car 

 to the principal markets amount in a year to a large sum. 

 According to the old plan, the fruit was loaded in the cars, 

 the bunkers were filled with ice, and the car started rolling. 

 From time to time on the journey the ice was replenished. 

 This method did not give complete satisfaction, for the 

 fruit at the center of the car did not become thoroughly 

 chilled for some time, and often the first few days of the 

 journey across Arizona was exactly the period in which 

 the fruit most needed refrigeration if the danger of decay 

 was to be minimized. 



Moreover, there was continual difficulty in obtaining the 

 proper icing services from the railroads. Finally it was 

 discovered that if the fruit was thoroughly chilled before 

 loading on the car and the bunkers filled, no more refrigera- 

 tion would ordinarily be needed on the transcontinental 

 journey. This method is known as pre-cooling and pre- 

 icing. Of course, this form of refrigeration is infinitely 

 superior to the other. However, the railroads offered to 

 perform the pre-cooling and refrigeration service for seven- 



