STORAGE OF CALIFORNIA TABLE GRAPES. 19 
COMMERCIAL TESTS OF 1911. 
In the commercial tests made during the season of 1911, two sepa- 
rate shipments of Red Emperor grapes packed in drums with a filler 
of redwood sawdust were made from Fresno, Cal. The introduction 
into the fruit markets of the East of this method of handling Cali- 
fornia grapes was made possible by the cooperation with this Bureau 
of Mr. George C. Koeding, of Fresno, who was later joined by the 
Backer Bros., in packing the first commercial lot of Emperor grapes 
in drums. The first shipment consisted of one carload, which was 
held at Chicago and marketed throughout the season ; the second ship- 
ment contained approximately one carload, which was held at New 
York, the bulk of the fruit being sold at auction in time for the 
Christmas trade. Very satisfactory prices were obtained for both 
lots and more fruit could have been sold to advantage had it been 
available. The returns from both the Chicago and New York lots 
were approximately the same, netting about $1.50 per drum f. o. b. 
California. 1 Notwithstanding the newness of the work, the inex- 
perience of the packers, and the comparatively high cost of the drums 
and sawdust the shippers netted approximately $70 per ton for the 
grapes in the vineyard. It is safe to assume that under large-scale 
commercial conditions the cost of materials and the expense of han- 
dling can be greatly reduced. Whether as satisfactory results as those 
mentioned above can be obtained when a large number of cars are 
shipped remains to be demonstrated, however. The ultimate success 
of the enterprise will depend chiefly upon the elimination of all save 
the best fruit and upon the care used in the picking, handling, and 
packing operations. 
An earlier consignment of Flame Tokay grapes shipped during the 
season of 1911 against the advice of the Bureau workers did not yield 
satisfactory results. The fruit was of an inferior grade and had 
been roughly handled and poorly packed. It held in good condition 
for only a short time and was sold at a considerable loss. While this* 
shipment proved disastrous to the owners of the fruit, it serves as 
a deterrent object lesson and from that standpoint may be reckoned 
a useful and valuable experiment. 
COMMERCIAL SHIPMENTS DURING THE SEASON OF 1912. 
During the season of 1912, 19,834 drums of grapes packed in 
redwood sawdust were shipped from the San Joaquin Valley of 
California in accordance with the methods developed as the result 
of the Bureau work. The average carload lot was about 576 drums. 
One car of Emperors was sent to Seattle and one to Calgary, while 
less than carload lots went to various cities of the South and Middle 
West. The bulk of the shipments went to New York and Chicago, 
1 The drums used in 1911 were smaller than those adopted by the shippers in 1912 
and held approximately 27 pounds of grapes. 
