50 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIFTVL 
There was also considerable difference 
resulting from the use of different ma¬ 
chines and the speed and manner of op¬ 
erating the machines. 
The experiments made last season in 
Florida were designed to show the effect 
following washing of Florida oranges. 
The chart and table show the averages 
of all the washing experiments made in 
Florida. 
Table IV. Average Percentages of Blue Mold Decay 
Following Washing of Florida Oranges, 1909-10 
Not Washed. Washed. 
Per cent. Per cent. 
1.2 Careful picking . 4.2 
2.6 Ordinary commercial picking . 6.9 
Long stems . 9.8 
The figures show that there is an in¬ 
crease of decay following washing. The 
washed carefully picked fruit shows more 
decay than the not washed commercially 
picked fruit. There is also more in¬ 
crease of decay following washing of the 
commercially picked lots. 
The high percentage of decay follow¬ 
ing the washing of long-stemmed fruit 
is significant. The picking data present¬ 
ed show that long stems are common in 
Florida picking. When such fruit has to 
be washed it is important to have both 
the picking and the actual washing work 
done as carefully as possible. 
SHIPPING EXPERIMENTS. 
Our shipping experiments last season 
were not satisfactory in that the work 
was seriously curtailed by the frost and 
the continuity of the experiments was de¬ 
stroyed. It is felt that the data are too 
meagre to justify any definite conclu¬ 
sions. We need much more data and it 
is hoped that the experiments can be ex¬ 
tended next season. 
The plan last season was to ship ex¬ 
perimental series consisting of sound 
fruit handled and packed very care¬ 
fully under the supervision of 
the bureau workers, in compar¬ 
ison with the same fruit picked 
and packed under ordinary commercial 
packing house conditions. Along with 
these, lots made up of selected injured 
fruit were to have been included. The 
plan also included the holding of the fruit 
after arrival to study its market holding 
qualities for three weeks, inspections be¬ 
ing made on arrival and one, two and 
three weeks after arrival. 
A study of the delay in packing and 
shipping was also attempted. For this, 
part of the lots were packed and shipped 
the same day they were picked, part held 
two days and part held four days before 
packing and shipping. Only a small part 
of this work outlined was carried out ow¬ 
ing to the cold weather. 
While the data are too meagre to be 
definitely conclusive, they show, (i) That 
the least decay follows immediate pack¬ 
ing and shipping; (2) That there is least 
decay in the carefully handled fruit and 
most in the injured; (3) That there is 
less decay following delayed carefully 
picked fruit than delayed commercially 
handled or injured fruit. 
Sound fruit stands the delay without 
serious loss, but where there are consid¬ 
erable amounts of injuries present, the 
quicker the fruit is packed and shipped 
the less the decay shown on arrival. 
In the holding tests after arrival, the 
carefully handled fruit showed a very 
great advantage. The average of the few 
shipments we were able to make was 5.2 
per cent, decay after three weeks holding 
