30 



PRECOOLING 



my hearers are entitled to expect a clear cut discussion of 

 the results of the actual application of the system of precool- 

 ing in the shipment of vegetable products. We have had, un- 

 fortunately, little experience with the shipment of vegetables, 

 the major part of the work of the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 with precooling having been done with fruits. The veget- 

 able work has only recently been begun, but it is expected 

 that the investigations which have been inaugurated this 

 season will be continued and extended so that eventually full 

 and accurate data will be available. The absence of data 

 bearing on actual shipments of vegetables is not, however, as 

 serious as might, at first sight, appear. The work done with 

 fruits has served to establish the fundamental principles un- 

 derlying the successful application of precooling and refrig- 

 eration to horticultural crops, and it is confidently expected 

 that these principles will be applicable (with modifications to 

 suit changed conditions) to the handling of vegetables. The 

 experience thus far obtained in the Bureau work indicates 

 that these expectations will be fully fulfilled. It will not be 

 amiss, therefore, to utilize the results of the Department's in- 

 vestigations of fruit handling, precooling and shipping as a 

 basis for this rather general discussion of the subject. 



The work of the Bureau of Plant Industry along fruit 

 transportation lines was begun about ten years ago. The 

 work thus far accomplished includes investigations with ap- 

 ples, oranges, lemons, grape fruit, peaches, cherries, pears, 

 fresh prunes, raspberries, loganberries, blackberries, grapes 

 and pineapples. The work with vegetables thus far accom- 

 plished during this season has been with lettuce, but it is ex- 

 pected that celery, cabbage and tomatoes will be included be- 

 fore the season is ended. 



Necessity of Care in Preparation For Sliipment. 



The most important fundamental principle developed from 

 the fruit handling and transportation investigations is the 

 fact that there exists a definite relationship between the 

 method and character of preparing fruit crops for shipment 

 and marketing and their behavior during transit and after 

 arrival in market. The care with which a fruit is harvested. 



