The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1915-07-06
A Wider Market
for Berry Growers


they could be satisfactorily shipped
mach farther than the distance which
is now regarded as the limi. for sue.
cessful marketing, according to rec.
ent investigations of the United
States Department Of Agriculture. In
the important raspberry districts in
the Puget Sound country 1000 miles
las hitherto been regarded as the
most d start market to whisi berries
could be shipped. In practice this
means that fresh Washington rasp-
berries do not come farther east than
Minneapolis and that the SUI plus, if
utilized at all must be canned. Gov.
eminent experiments, however, The
results of which are now published in
Bulletin No. pa, indicate that with
more careful methods of handling and
shipping the Washington crop Of
fresh berries could be sold over a
much wider range of territory.
The most common causes of decay
in berries while in transit or after
arrival on the market are mold fun.
81, usually gray mold or blue mold.
Neither of these fungi is likely to in
jure firm, sound berries but they
spread quickly where the fruit has
been injured in handling or Is over
ripe and soft. In this respect the
successful shipping OF raspberries
presents the same problem as the
successful shipping of oranges. Pre-
vious experiments in Florida have
demonstrated that where oranges are
carefully harvested, crops can be
marketed with almost no appreciate
loss and the same appears to hold true
with raspberries.
In 1911 the government investigat.
ors made comparative tests of the
keeping qualities of carefully handled
raspberries and commercially han.
died raspberries. Several lots OF
each kind were held in an ice car for
varying periods and then examined
for the percentage of decay. Other
lots were held a day after being
withdrawn from the refrigerator car
and then examined. The results are
most significant.
After four days in the ice car it
was found that the carefully handled
berries showed only GA per cent de-
cay, while the commercially handled
fruit had as per cent. After eight
days in the car the difference was
vastly greater. The carefully han
died fruit showed only 2.2 per cent
decay, but with the commercially han
died this percentage had risen to
26.7 or more than one fourth Of the
entire shipment. When the fruit
was examined a day after 1t had been
taken out of the ice car the evidence
was equally strong in favor of care
full handling. Carefully handled fruit
that had remained four days in the
car was found a day after its with
drawal to show only 1 per cent OF
decay against IT'S per cent in COM
mere ally handled berries. Carefully
handled fruit left in the car eight
days, and then held one day. showed
only 81 per cent OF decay as against
AIS per cent in commercially han
died fruit.
The following year experiments
were made with actual shipments in
stead Of with the atationary refrig
orator car, and the results confirmed
previous conclusions. 1t VAS found
for example, that there was less dc
cay in the carefully handled berries
at the end OF eight days than in tn,
commercially handled berries az tn,
end of four. Carefully handled frui
that was four days in trans: and hat
then been held one day after with
drawal from the refrigerator ca
showed less than per cent OF de
cay, whereas commercially handles
berries subjected to the same ties
showed nearly 10 per cent,
The difference between the careful
ly handled and the commercially har
died lots OF berries consists chief
in extra care in picking and in tn
scrupulous exclusion Of any soft, o.
erripe berries. Ordinarily the picl
ing Is done by unskilled labor, chi
dren being frequently employed /
this way. II Is. OF course, extremsl
difficult to make them realize the N,
cessity for care, but the comparatiy
success of certain growers in keepiu
down their losses shows that muc
Improvement in this respect Is po
sible. The most common injuries
: the berries are due to their being br
j ken and bruised while being remove
D from the bushes or being mashed
3 the hand while picking II the berri,
are pulled with three fingers instei