28 BULLETIN" 601, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
Experimental heads of lettuce were cut just above the two or three 
lower leaves, and all diseased leaves were removed. This carefully 
cut lettuce developed far less decay in transit than the commercially 
cut lettuce. 
Lettuce in cars that were precooled at the shipping point to a 
temperature of about 40° F. developed considerably less decay in 
transit than that shipped in nonprecooled cars. 
The combination of careful cutting and precooling enabled the 
lettuce to reach its destination in almost perfect condition and to hold 
up much better on the market than lettuce handled in the usual 
manner. 
Celery often is injured in transit because it is loaded too high in the 
cars to permit proper air circulation and rapid cooling. Smaller 
crates or a smaller number of crates in the load would help to insure 
more rapid cooling. 
Temperature records taken in transit in a precooled, initially iced, 
and in a nonprecooled, fully iced celery car, showed that the non- 
precooled took about four days to reach as low an average temperature 
as the precooled car maintained from the start. 
During the entire trip from Florida to destination the temperature 
was never more than 5 or 6 degrees higher in the top tier than in the 
bottom tier of the precooled car, whereas in the nonprecooled car 
the difference amounted to 18 degrees for a considerable period. 
The cost of precooling and initial icing of a car of celery was less 
than the usual charge for full refrigeration. In warm weather one 
icing in transit may be required, but probably this would not increase 
the cost above the usual full refrigeration charges. 
Precooled celery arrived on the market in a uniformly fresh con- 
dition, with the leaves on the top tier nearly as green as those on the 
bottom. Nonprecooled celery showed very yellow leaves in the top 
tier. Such crates discount the value of the entire load. 
During the latter part of the Florida celery-shipping season it 
appears that celery could be disposed of sometimes to better advan- 
tage if held in storage for a short period. 
Precooled celery was stored successfully for four weeks with little 
decay, but stored nonprecooled celery developed considerable decay 
during the same period. 
Celery from the lower part of a nonprecooled car can be stored for 
a short period, but during warm weather that on the top tier should 
be disposed of as soon as it reaches the market. 
