146 MODERN FRUIT MARKEYVING 
allow for the extra time in shipment, and such fruit 
as grapes and peaches will never properly ripen when 
picked too early. 
Where the shipments can reach the markets in a short 
time, and where better cold storage can be arranged for 
in transit, the fruit does not need to be picked until 
it is more mature. Hence, the quality of the grapes 
and peaches that come from the West have gradually 
improved from year to year, until now it is possible to 
get the more perishable fruits from all parts of the 
country in as good condition as where grown. This is 
also true of some of the more perishable vegetables from 
the market sections of the south. 
Ocean freight is a question which, at the present time, 
is causing considerable discussion among the various 
fruit shipping organizations. As production increases, 
outlets must be secured in some of the foreign countries. 
Until recently, Europe has taken a large proportion of 
our exports. Now new outlets are sought in other coun- 
tries such as South America, Australia, South Africa and 
the Empires of Japan and China. As time goes on, the 
ocean freight traffic will demand a larger and more care- 
ful supervision in full consideration of the fruit in- 
dustry. 
The tendency of the past year or two has been to 
increase the freight all along the line, both for con- 
tinental and oceanic traffic. The increase of the foreign 
or export trade for the more perishable fruits will mean a 
corresponding increase in the facilities for handling this 
fruit in ocean traffic. Better cold storage facilities on the 
boats must be provided, also better means of loading and 
unloading the fruit so as to avoid injury in the handling. 
