44 CIRCULAR 7 73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



latter for about one-third. Total spoilage ranged from 7.7 to 14.0 

 percent and for the entire 7-year period averaged 11.5 percent per 

 carlot inspected. Tipburn varied in amount from State to State, 

 with a range of 0.7 percent in shipments from New York to 31.0 

 percent in those from South Carolina. Bacterial soft rot ranged from 

 1.1 to 6.7 percent. In the analysis of California data by months it 

 will be noted that tipburn was most important from May through 

 October, with greatest prevalence in July and August. Bacterial 

 soft rot was most prevalent in April and May, decreased in amount 

 thereafter to the end of the year, and was least prevalent in January 

 and February. 



MlJSKMELONS 



A separate report 19 has already been made on market inspections 

 of cantaloups and related melons. The present discussion is based 

 on part of the material presented there. It will be noted that the 

 period covered is 1933 through 1935 and 1941, so that the data are 

 not entirely comparable with those on the other commodities. 



CANTALOUPS 



Over 13,500 carlots of cantaloups were unloaded during the 4 years 

 for which data were analyzed. Truck shipments from a number of 

 States, chiefly Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, constituted 32 

 percent of all unloads. The remaining 68 percent were rail shipments, 

 86 percent of which originated in California, Arizona, and Colorado 

 (chiefly California). 



Inspections were made on 3,294 carlots, or 36 percent of all rail un- 

 loads. Decay or mold was found in 50 percent of the carlots (table 

 29). Mold and decay averaged 6.7 percent per carlot inspected. 

 Mold was more prevalent than all decays combined. Fusarium rot, 

 rhizopus rot, and altera aria rot were the most important decays 

 reported . 



HONEY DEW MELONS 



Over 7,600 carlots of domestic Honey Dew melons were unloaded 

 during 4 years. Practically all were rail shipments from Arizona, 

 California, and Colorado. Inspections were made on 4,181 carlots, 

 or 55 percent of all unloads. Decay and mold averaging 2.2 percent 

 per carlot inspected was reported from 41 percent of those inspected 

 (table 29). Rhizopus rot was of chief importance and accounted for 

 nearly half of the decay. Alternaria rot, cladosporium rot, and mold, 

 in the order named, were next in importance. 



HONEY BALL AND MIXED MELONS 



Over 3,800 carlots of Honey Ball melons and mixed melons were un- 

 loaded during the 4-year period. Practically all were rail shipments 

 from California. Inspections were made on 2,415 carlots, or 63 per- 



19 WlANT, J. S. AN ANALYSIS OF MARKET INSPECTION REPORTS ON SPOILAGE 



of cantaloups and related melons. U. S. Bur. Plant Indus., Plant Dis. 

 Rptr. Sup. 138: [145]-161. 1942. [Processed.] 



