STORAGE OF CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPES. 29 
COST OF THE DRUM-SAWDUST PACK. 
The cost of packing the grapes in drums with a filler of redwood 
sawdust, as determined by one of the leading shippers during the 
season of 1912-13, was as follows: 
Drum $0. 33 
Sawdust .20 
Packing and hauling .20 
Loading : . 03 
Total f. o. b. cost .76 
Freight . . 57 
Refrigeration in transit . 15 
Total cost at eastern market 1.48 
The freight charge is based on a rate of $1.15 per hundred pounds 
to New York, figuring the drums at 50 pounds gross weight, al- 
though in some places they w T ere listed at a lower average weight. 
The cost of refrigeration is based on a charge of $90 per carload of 
600 drums. Storage charges in New York and Jersey City during 
1912-13 were 10 cents per drum per month, but it is reported that 
this rate will be increased next season. The commission charges 
at New York w T ere '7 per cent of the selling price. Therefore, when 
grapes were held two months in storage the cost laid down at the 
auction sale, as estimated above, was $1.68 per drum. 
On a basis of 35 pounds of grapes per drum, an auction price of 
$3 yields a net price of 3.17 cents per pound, or $63.40 per ton. A 
price of $2.80 per drum yields 2.63 cents per pound, or $52.60 per 
ton. 
It is safe to assume that the cost of the sawdust and of the drums 
will be reduced when the demand increases sufficiently to warrant 
the manufacture of the packages in large quantities and the prepa- 
ration of the sawdust on a large scale. 
CONCLUSION. 
The prices obtained during the season of 1912-13 for California 
grapes packed in redwood sawdust may be considered as very satis- 
factory on the whole. Owing to unusual weather conditions during 
the latter part of the packing season Emperor grapes were held on 
the vines exceptionally late and the fruit packed in crates reached 
the eastern markets in unusually fine shape until late in December. 
The sawdust-packed fruit in drums was compelled to meet compe- 
tition from the crate stock in a way that will not be experienced in 
normal seasons. In addition, the sales of the Emperor grapes packed 
in cork, as previously noted, had a demoralizing effect on the sales 
of the fruit properly packed in sawdust. The cork-packed grapes 
