STOKAGE OF CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPES. 21 
chief factors responsible for the poor condition of the fruit on the 
market. 
Some poor lots of Emperor grapes which were packed in redAvood 
sawdust also failed to hold in sound condition during the storage sea- 
son. This is shown by the low prices received for certain brands at 
the auction sales. Shipment under refrigeration and cold storage 
after arrival did not prevent deterioration due to weakness in the 
fruit itself or to lack of care in packing. The excellent initial condi- 
tion of the more carefully selected Emperors not only insured the 
holding of these grapes in first-class condition for the holiday market, 
but it also permitted the reshipment by express of a large number of 
drums to distant markets. 
WEIGHT OF GRAPES AND PACKING MATERIAL IN THE DRUM. 
No figures are available for the cost of packing grapes in cork. A 
drum 12J inches in diameter by 15 inches between covers, inside 
measurement, and smaller in size than that used for the sawdust- 
packed fruit, was used in 1912 for the grapes shipped in cork. The 
gross weight of these packages averaged 32 pounds, the net weight of 
the grapes being 25J pounds, of the cork 2 pounds, and of the drum 
4 J pounds. In packing some of these drums for experimental pur- 
poses, however, the Bureau workers found it necessary to use nearly 
double this quantity of cork, or about 4 pounds. When only 2 
pounds of the filler were used, the material was not shaken down 
well enough in the course of packing. When the drums were opened 
on the market, the cork had usually settled 2 or 3 inches from the 
lid, the top layer of grapes being exposed and generally showing 
more or less bruising and some decay. 
The drum for the sawdust pack measured 15§ inches in diameter 
and 15f inches between covers, inside measurement, and 16| inches 
outside, for both diameter and height. (See Pis. VII and VIII.) 
The maximum weight of grapes which could be packed in this drum, 
allowing sufficient space for sawdust at top and bottom, was 35 
pounds. Many of the packers did not attempt to hold the net weight 
of grapes above 30 pounds, while the quantity of fruit in, some of 
the drums was considerably less than 26 pounds, the different pack- 
ages thus showing great variation. Three typical drums showed the 
following weights of packing materials and grapes : 
With a gross weight of 50-J pounds there were 33^ pounds of grapes 
and 11J pounds of sawdust, the empty drum weighing 6 pounds. 
With a gross weight of 51J pounds, the grapes weighed 34J pounds, 
the sawdust Hi pounds, and the drum 6 pounds. 
With a gross weight of 55J pounds, the grapes weighed 38 pounds, 
the sawdust 11J pounds, and the drum 6 pounds. 
