28 
BULLETIN 63, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
P/GK- AS/0 *=>A f/r 
packing, and decay was determined by actual count. In house No. 1 the carefully 
handled fruit, notwashed, was heldfor two weeks with only 1.1 per cent of decay, while 
the washed lot of the same fruit developed 14.1 per cent. The carefully handled 
oranges, notwashed and washed, showed 0.8 per cent and 1 per cent of decay, respec- 
tively, in house No. 2. The commercially handled fruit, not washed, in house No. 1 
developed 4.7 per cent of decay after two weeks, while in house No. 2 this class of fruit 
showed only 1.2 per cent of 
decay. There was 39.5 per 
cent of decay in the washed 
lots of commercially han- 
dled fruit from house No. 1, 
but in house No. 2 only 1.3 
per cent of the fruit handled 
in the same way showed de- 
cay at the end of two weeks. 
The significance of the ef- 
fects of rough field handling and subsequent poor manipulation of the machinery is 
amply shown, and the practicability of carrying on washing operations with care suffi- 
cient to reduce decay to a minimum is likewise demonstrated. 
Table XI. — Blue-mold decay in oranges, washed and not washed, from two houses in the 
same locality after holding the fruit for two weeks in the packing houses, 1910-11. 
HOUSS MP 2 • 
\M7T VMSHS0 B'. 
tVASf/SD ■ 
\/vor tvASneo iO.O<& 
■ *2"7S 
Fig. 12. — Diagram illustrating the percentage of blue-mold decay 
in oranges, washed and not washed, from two houses in the same 
locality, after holding the fruit for two weeks in the packing houses, 
1910-11. 
Packing houses and treat- 
ment. 
Careful 
pick and 
pack. 
Commer- 
cial pick 
and pack. 
Packing houses and treat- 
ment. 
Careful 
cial pick 
pack. 
Commer- 
cial pick 
and pack. 
House No. 1: 
Not washed 
Per cent. 
1.1 
14.1 
Per cent. 
4.7 
39.5 
House No. 2: 
Not washed 
Per cent. 
0.8 
Per cent. 
1.2 
Washed 
Washed 
1.0 
1.3 
. 
In the bureau investigations 12 different types of washing machines and one sawdust 
cleaner were used. A few of the machines were of such evident impracticability that 
they were rapidly going out of use, and of those which gave satisfactory results it is 
manifestly impossible to name any one which is best suited for all purposes. The 
quantity of fruit to be handled and the nature of the work to be performed are impor- 
tant factors which must be considered in determining the value of any machine. 
When purchasing this part of the equipment, it is important to choose the type of 
machine which will do the best work from the standpoint of careful handling and 
will eliminate, as far as is possible, the detrimental results of washing. 
Some of the features which should be avoided in washing machines are as follows: 
(1) Completely inclosed brushes. The fruit should be in plain sight at all times. 
(2) Pressure on the fruit other than that afforded by the weight of the fruit itself. 
(3) Opportunity for the fruits to fumble over or rub against one another to any great 
extent. 
(4) Any arrangement of brushes, mats, etc., which allows twigs, thorns, nails, etc., 
to become lodged in the runway through which the fruit must pass. 
Any one of these features may be the means of much injury, especially in houses 
where careful attention to the operation of the machinery is not given at all times, or 
where the field-handling operations have been more or less careless. 
IMPORTANCE OF DRYING. 
Fruit should never be packed while moist or wet. Moisture is one of the prime 
requisites for the development of decay, and, as the temperature of the fruit during 
the Florida packing season is usually high enough to facilitate the germination of the 
