Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-04-08
For Crane Growers.

AT recent meeting OF the Western
New York Grape Shippers Association
| a good deal of information of real value
10 grape growers was brought out by
the reports of the secretary, manager,
and one of the agents sent into the
West to find markets for the fruit
shipped by the association. In the
managers report it was stated that a
great deal of the fruit arrived at its des-
tinatiOn more or less mOuldy. Last fall
was unusually wet and the air was at all
times full of moisture, SO that if the
grapes in the basket once began to
mould the whole contents would soon
become unstable This was one reason
assigned for the trouble by the man
ager and shippers, but it was also
brought out that the weather was so
rainy that often the baskets would get
wet while in wagons on the way to ship
ping depots. Nearly all the box cars,
too, were wet inside and there was no
convenient mode of drying them. The
manager recommended that growers
should procure canvas covers large
enough to cover their loads completely,
so that the baskets would be dry, even
if hauled to the depot in a rainstorm.
1t was generally conceded that deliver
ing during a rainstOrm can usually be
avoided. Nevertheless, vote showed
that the members mostly conceded with
the manager in favoring the use of cam
vas covers.
Another potent factor in causing
mould in the baskets of fruit was pack
ing it in new baskets made from green
timber. The grape crop in Chautauqua
County was unexpectedly large, the
shipments being over 800 baskets, in
stead of l 200 baskets, as generally eX-
pected, and as stated in census report
Just published. The dry, seasoned
baskets made during early summer
We're all used long before the crop was
marketed, and the basket factories were
run night and day during the picking
season to furnish the needed supplies.
These were made, of course, from green
timber just out of the woods, and the
baskets were full of sap.
1t was found that when carload of
grapes reached Denver or Bismarck, if
there was any mould at all in any of the
baskets, the whole carload was mouldy,
except the outer tier of baskets next to
open places in the car. This was to be
expected, as mould is a fungus, which
in confined, moist air, will spread with
amazing rapidity. The grapes were
moist, being full of juice. Occasionally
a berry was cracked, letting the juice
run out over the other berries near it,
and being shut up in tight baskets,
often of green timber, and In cOmpar-
atively tight car for week or ten days,
it was no wonder that the mould had
grown all through the mass and ruined
the grapes for table fruit. Growers
have much to learn about the various
fungus enemies of their crop, but the
Chautauqua grape growers have learned
by dear experience that it will not do to
use other than seasoned baskets or to
get baskets wet while hauling and de-
ivering.
The crop was large one, 80 per cent.
greater than the Census Bureau makes
it, yet, with all the losses from mould
and wet the crop averaged ZIG cents
per nine-pound basket for the whole
season. Taking out what was shipped
as No. 2 grapes, the remainder averaged
22.6 cents a basket, or 2.5 cents a pound.
One member reported a yield of l 900
baskets of No. l grapes per acre on
thirty-siX acres, or at the rate Of 1925 an
acre. He had bought his baskets early
and they were dry when packed and
shipped. His crop was $1,000 baskets,
or twelve full carloads. He urged
members to deliver their grapes in
prime order, and to refuse to ship in
the same car with those who used green
baskets or who took no pains when
packing to have the contents of every
basket No. l fruit The manager
stated that the car service was very
poor. This is a matter which the as
ISOLATION should, in connection with
other similar associations, use its best
endeavors to compel railroad managers
to rectify 1t can be done, provided a
general demand is made.-B,faIo Er-
press.