CAR-LOT SHIPMENTS OF FRUIIS 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 Calhfornia 
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 
““ereen 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. ANH 
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