PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 183 



determining factors. Experiments with green and overripe fruit show 

 that both will not hold long or in good condition; the former shrivel 

 badly and shell from the stems, while the latter soon decay or break 

 down physiologically. One comparison of early and late picking is 

 shown in the table: Pizzutella, early picked (Sept. 16), remained in 

 good condition forty days in crates, while the same variety picked two 

 weeks later held only twenty days to the 5 per cent limit. 



The fruit was all very carefully handled and was nearly all packed 

 by ourselves. Great care was used in culling to eliminate all unsound 

 or injured berries, and the packing was done carefully to avoid injury 

 in handling. Packing w y as done as quickly as possible after picking 

 and the packages were gotten into the cold storage rooms with the least 

 possible delay. Not more than thirty-six hours elapsed between pick- 

 ing and placing the fruit in cold storage. 



It has been shown in the investigations with other fruits that one 

 of the most important factors in the successful handling of fruits, 

 either in storage or in transit, is quick shipment or quick cooling after 

 the fruit is harvested. The sooner the fruit can be cooled after it 

 leaves the tree or vine the longer time it will continue in first-class con- 

 dition. This is especially true where there are any appreciable mechan- 

 ical injuries in handling. It has been shown with oranges, for example, 

 that after a delay in shipping or cooling of two to four days the decay 

 in transit may be from two to five times greater than under immediate 

 shipment or cooling, depending upon the amount of mechanical injury 

 in the fruit. These factors of quick shipment and quick cooling are 

 found to be even more important in the case of table grapes than they 

 are w-ith oranges, for the reason that the ordinary grape package offers 

 ideal moisture conditions for the development of molds, and if the 

 proper heat conditions are present molds are almost sure to occur. 

 When a filler is used quick cooling is just as important, if not more 

 important. The filler acts, to a certain extent, as an insulation, and 

 cooling will be relatively slow under the best conditions. The converse 

 is also true, and consequently the fruit should be packed as cool as 

 possible. A very appreciable effect can be gained in this respect by 

 taking advantage of natural cooling overnight, and w r here picking is 

 done in warm weather it is always best to allow the grapes to remain 

 open over night and pack the next day while cool. We had a good 

 illustration of the deleterious effects' of warm packing and delay in 

 cooling during the present season. A number of varieties, packed at 

 Fresno at a high temperature, were in some Way delayed several days 

 by the express company in transit from Fresno to the point where they 

 were stored. The first inspection of these lots made a few days ago 

 showed every one long past the 15 per cent limit. w T hile a few packages 

 of the same variety stored locally and quickly cooled are still in first- 

 class condition. 



The question has been asked whether grape storage will ever become 

 a commercial business. We believe it will, and plans are being con- 

 sidered by the Bureau to extend the investigations along commercial 

 lines, and some of the grape' growers of the State also are planning to 

 make a commercial test next season. In the carrying out of these 

 investigations, nothing has been done which can not be done under 

 commercial conditions. The problem connected with the proper con- 



