SHIPMENT OF ORANGES FROM FLORIDA. 
41 
Table XX. — Imperfections in picking and the percentage of blue-mold decay of fruit on 
arrival in Washington and after holding for three weeks, shipped from one packing house 
during 1910-11 and 1911-12, showing decrease in blue-mold decay due to greater care in 
handling. 
Picking inspections. 
Time of exam- 
ination. 
Experimental shipments.- 
Class of imper- 
fections. 
1910-11 
1911-12 
1910-11 1 
1911-12 2 
Jan. 17. 
Mar. 3. 
Dec. 13. 
Careful. 
Commer- 
cial. 
Careful. 
Commer- 
cial. 
Clipper cuts 
Long stems — 
Pulled 
Per cent. 
11.3 
23.0 
1.0 
Per cent. 
5.7 
11.9 
5.1 
Per cent. 
1.8 
10.4 
1.4 
On arrival 
After lweek.. 
After 2 weeks . 
After 3 weeks . 
Per cent. 
0.2 
.6 
.8 
1.3 
Per cent. 
8.0 
12.6 
15.3 
15.8 
Per cent. 
0.3 
.9 
1.2 
1.5 
Per cent. 
1.1 
2.4 
2.8 
4.1 
i Fruit picked Feb. 1, 1911. 
2 Fruit picked Dec. 13, 1911. 
cl/ppep ccrrs I 
LONG STEMS \ 
\//.3 % 
?./% 
PULLED W-O % I 
EXPE&/MENTAL SH/PMEA/TS. 
/6 
/4 
<*-h.T~°~~' 
*<t 
w 
//.9% 
/&# 
It will be noticed that in 1910-11 (fig. 23) the total imperfections in the field 
handling amounted to 35.3 per cent at the first inspection and 22.7 per cent at the 
second. The average percentage of decay in the commercial shipments was 8 per cent 
on arrival at Washington, the carefully handled lots developing 0.2 per cent. In 
1911-12 (fig. 24) the field 
work, while far from perfect, 
was considerably improved, 
the inspections showing 13.6 
per cent of imperfections. 
The commercially handled 
fruit showed 1.1 per cent of 
decay on arrival, and the lots 
prepared by the bureau 
workers had 0.3 per cent. 
After holding the fruit in 
Washington for three weeks 
the commercially handled 
oranges developed 15.8 per 
cent of decay during 1910-11 
and 4.1 per cent during 
1911-12. When it is con- 
sidered that the variation in 
the percentage of decay for 
these two seasons may easily 
mean a difference between 
profit and loss in the sale of 
the fruit from this house, the 
data presented become par- 
ticularly impressive. It 
would be difficult to assem- 
ble a stronger array of facts 
than those brought together in this figure to illustrate the fundamental importance of 
preserving the sound carrying quality of oranges. The significance of the connection 
between field handling and the occurrence of decay during transit is definitely shown, 
as well as the practicability of improving conditions by means of more systematic man- 
agement. This presentation should be sufficient to convince even the most skep- 
tical that loss from decay in the shipment of Florida oranges is dependent upon the 
character of handling given the fruit in field and packing house. 
Fig. 23. — Diagram illustrating the percentage of imperfections in 
picking and the percentage of blue-mold decay of oranges on 
arrival in Washington and after holding for three weeks, in fruit 
shipped from one packing house, showing decrease in blue-mold 
decay due to greater care in handling, 1910-11. 
