2 BULLETIN 331, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
ley is on the west side of the Cascade Eange. and the climate is con- 
siderably more humid than in most of the other fruit-producing 
sections on the Pacific coast. Because of this humid climate and the 
frequent rains during the harvesting season, both cherries and prunes 
may split or crack badly before or at maturity, and oftentimes they 
are attacked by brown-rot. so common hi peaches and stone fruits 
in different sections of the country. 
During the season of 1911 an investigation of the relationship of 
handling and precooling to the behavior of sweet cherries and prunes 
in transit to the market was commenced at Salem. Oreg. The work 
was undertaken in response to urgent requests from the Salem Fruit 
Union, a cooperative marketing organization of growers at that time 
handling most of the prunes grown in this district, as well as most 
of the cherries marketed in a fresh condition. The Department of 
Agriculture had the hearty cooperation of the members of this asso- 
ciation and the growers generally. The Salem Fruit Union con- 
structed in their warehouse at Salem a small precooling plant de- 
signed by the department. This plant was put at the disposal of the 
department, giving most excellent facilities for experimental work 
in the handling and precooling of various deciduous fruits. Because 
of the cooperation mentioned and the facilities offered in the way of 
precooling equipment. Salem was considered an ideal place for ex- 
periments in both the handling and precooling of such fruits as 
prunes and sweet cherries. 
PURPOSE OF THE INVESTIGATIONS. 
The investigations were planned with a view of ascertaining pri- 
marily the relation of two factors, handling and precooling. to the 
decay of these fruits in transit and on the market when shipped in 
a fresh or green state. The term " green " in this discussion is used 
to designate fruit shipped fresh, in contrast to fruit canned or evapo- 
rated. If a considerable proportion of the crop could be successfully 
shipped in this way during certain seasons, it would tend greatly to 
steady and stabilize the industry and permit its further profitable 
extension. The results would also indicate the important relation- 
ship of methods of handling to the decay of such fruits in transit 
and on the market, no matter where grown. 
During the seasons of 1911 and 1913. the two seasons during which 
these investigations were carried on. the conditions were extremely 
unfavorable for green-fruit shipping, frequent rains interrupting 
both the sweet-cherry and prune picking during the harvesting sea- 
sons. The results obtained, however, particularly from the careful- 
handling experiments, are entirely consistent with the previous re- 
sults of the department's fruit handling and transportation investi- 
gations, While the work in the \Yillamette Valley did not extend 
