Florida Agricultural Experiment Station


 Picking and Handling in the Field in Relation to Decay:-In a
study of the methods of handling citrus fruits from the trees to
the packinghouse, made by DeBusk in October, 1925, seventy-
three inspections were made of the care with which fruit was
picked and handled in 12 representative groves distributed
over five counties. In the picking inspections made, attention
was given to such defects as long stems, clipper cuts, pulled and
bruised fruit. Of all the fruit inspected, 10.7 percent bore one
or more of the above defects. In the case of certain pickers,
long stems ran as high as 33.1 percent, while in other cases
clipper cuts ran as high as 11.2 percent. In one grove where
there was no supervision of picking, the total number of fruits
injured by long stems and clipper cuts ran as high as 48.9 per-
cent.
 The percentage of defects referred to above is in direct pro-
portion to the percentage of cull fruit found either in the pack-
inghouse or at the market to which the fruit is consigned. A
large percentage of the clipper cuts, bruised and pulled fruit is
observed and culled out by the grader on the grading belt, while
the long stems go by on the grader and puncture more fruit in
the process of sizing and packing. This defect, therefore, should
be considered more seriously than those that are caught by the
grader, since long stems continue their work of destruction
right on to the consumer.
 A number of tests were made to determine the extent of the
injury done by a single long stem. It was found that the num-
ber of stem-punctures resulting from a long stem ranges from
one to three, depending upon the variety and condition of the
fruit, stage of maturity, and methods of handling. It is very
conservative to place the average at one stem-punctured, or cull,
fruit to each long stem. Many long stems were found to be
clipped at an angle, leaving them sharp, which more readily
punctures the fruits with which they come in contact. This is
due to holding the clipper in the hand improperly. Many pick-
ers clip with the concave side of the clipper turned to the fruit.
This always results in a high percentage of clipper cuts and many
sharp stems and should not be permitted.
 The mechanical injuries, and consequently the percentage of
 culls, run highest during the early part of the shipping season
 while much of the fruit is being artificially colored. This is
 especially true with reference to fruit that is picked soon after