SHIPMENT OF ORANGES FROM FLORIDA. 
45 
Table XXII and figure 26 show the average percentages of decay found in fruits 
shipped during December, January, and February, 1910-11 and 1911-12, on arrival 
at Washington and after holding for three weeks under ordinary market conditions. 
Table XXII. — Blue-mold decay of oranges on arrival in Washington and after holding 
for three weeks; average of the two seasons, by months, in 1910-11 and 1911-12. 
Time of examination. 
On arrival: 
December 
January . . 
February . 
After 1 week: 
December 
January . . 
February . 
Careful 
pick and 
pack. 
Per cent. 
1.8 
.6 
.3 
2.5 
1.0 
.7 
Commer- 
cial pick 
and pack. 
Per cent. 
11.6 
5.4 
3.9 
15.7 
9.1 
7.3 
Time of examination. 
After 2 weeks: 
December 
January . . 
February . 
After 3 weeks: 
December 
January.. 
February . 
Careful 
pick and 
pack. 
Per cent. 
3.2 
1.5 
1.2 
3.6 
2.1 
1.8 
Commer- 
cial pick 
and pack. 
Per cent . 
17.8 
12.8 
10.5 
19.7 
14.6 
13.8 
The commercially handled fruit, picked and shipped during December, showed 
the highest average percentage of decay on arrival (11.6 per cent), and the increase 
after three weeks was correspondingly higher than was the case for fruit picked 
and shipped during January 
and February. Commer- 
cially handled fruit, picked 
and shipped during Janu- 
ary, arrived with 5.4 per 
cent of decay, and that 
sent out during February 
showed 3.9 per cent on ar- 
rival. The shipments of 
carefully handled fruit ar- 
rived with an average of 1.8 
per cent during December, 
0.6 per cent during January, 
and 0.3 per cent during 
February, and after holding 
for three weeks showed 3.6 
per cent, 2.1 per cent, and 
1.8 per cent of decay, re- 
spectively. All of the care- 
fully handled fruit, even 
that shipped during De- 
cember, showed much less 
decay after three weeks in 
market than the commer- 
cial shipments during Feb- 
ruary showed on arrival. 
The superior shipping and 
market-holding qualities of FlG ' 26.-Diagram illustrating the percentage of blue-mold decay in 
11 V. A 1 A "f carefully handled and commercially handled oranges picked durmg 
carefully nanalea fruit are December, January, and February; average of the two seasons, 
evident. 1910-11 and 1911-12. 
/0 ./ iaMUARV _A££.— — 
PRECOOLING. 
The term "precooling" has been used to designate the prompt and rapid cooling 
of fruit prior to shipment. The initial cooling of the product is accomplished very 
slowly when the fruit is shipped under ordinary icing conditions, the ice of a refrige- 
rator car not being able to cool the fruit with sufficient promptness and rapidity to 
