26 



CIRCULAR 7 73, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



caused two-thirds of all spoilage. Decay was higher in 1937 and 1941 

 than in other years. Much more decay was reported in lima beans 

 from Florida than in those from California. 



Beans (Snap) 



Nearly 43,000 carlots of snap beans were unloaded during the 

 7-year period. Truck shipments from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, 

 New York (including Long Island), and a number of South Atlantic 

 States, including Florida, comprised 64 percent of all unloads; 4 per- 

 cent were boat shipments; 32 percent were rail shipments. Eighty- 

 seven percent of the rail unloads originated in Florida. 



Inspections were made on 2,175 carlots, or 16 percent of all rail 

 unloads. Distribution of decay 13 within them was as follows: 





(percent) : 



Carlots in indicated 

 decay class 



Decay class (percent) — 

 Continued 



25-29 



30-34 



35-39 



40-44 



Carlots in indicated 

 decay class 



Decay class 







Trace-4__ 

 5-9 



Number Percent 



1, 847 84. 9 



261 12. 



44 2. 



15 .7 



5 . 2 



Number 



1 

 

 



1 



Percent 



Trace 

 



10-14 



15-19 









Trace 



20-24. 



Trace 



Decay, averaging 3.1 percent per carlot showing decay, was re- 

 ported from 328 carlots, or 15 percent of those inspected. It was 

 distributed by types as follows: 



Distribution 



Distribution 



Kind of decay: 



Bacterial blight 



Watery soft rot 



Soil rot 



Anthracnose 



Carlots 

 (number) 



42 



122 



73 



39 



Average 

 per carlot 

 (percent) 



6.4 

 2.0 

 2.0 

 3.4 



Kind of decay — Con. 



Bacterial soft rot 



Rhizopus rot 



Other decay 



Carlots 

 (number) 



38 



4 



73 



Average 

 per carlot 

 (percent) 



2.5 

 6.0 



1.5 



A summary of all snap bean inspections is presented in table 16. 

 The majority of the carlots of which the origin was known were from 

 Florida. Decay per carlot inspected ranged from 0.2 to 0.9 percent 

 and for the entire period averaged 0.5 percent. This was divided 

 evenly between bacterial blight, watery soft rot, soil rot, anthracnose, 

 and other decay. Khizopus rot and bacterial soft rot averaged only 

 trace. Decay was most prevalent (4.3 percent) in beans from Mis- 

 sissippi in the few inspections made; watery soft rot and soil rot were 

 responsible for the decay. Decay averaged 0.4 percent for Florida 

 carlots and 0.5 percent for those for which States were not given; all 

 but 107 carlots fell within these 2 groups. From the analysis of 

 Florida data by months it will be noted that decay was most prevalent 

 from October through December. 



13 Bacterial blight and anthracnose included with decay. 



