The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-02-08

to our climate. Thus we have the
strange anomaly of having too many
apples AMI yet too few. There are
enough varieties that will fill the bill as
winter keepers in Maryland and Della
ware if we will take the pains to secure
them, apples native to our soil; and it
is here that this society can do work
Of great practical value to the farmers
of this section, in helping to develop
an additional home industry that will
enable us more nearly to supply our
home markets as we'll as to furnish
apples for export. Let us take hold of
this subject and cooperate with the
American Pathological Society in purg.
ing our list of all Improbable sorts,
and add only those that can stand the
test of an honest trialvby disinterested
growers, representing different soils
and conditions.
We have grown into this long list,
by having trees Of Northern origin,
that have been scattered among us by
the persistent tree peddler who will
always guarantee his winter varieties
"to keep till March, This is why
our orchards aae filled with apples ready
for market in September and that can
only be kept until Christmas by care
full handling. But we have enough
Of our own, or from the more Southern
States that are winter apples there and
will remain unripe on the trees here
until the end of October, when they
can be picked from the trees, not from
the ground.
The last requisite we now need is
cold storage. After the first of Novem-
ber there should be no trouble In se-
curing this, and with some simple
means to protect from midday heat it
can be done after our first white frosts,
without the use of Ice. Where ice is
easily obtained it may pay to use it
also. The colder the room the better
apples will keep and the thermometer
may drop to 20 degrees and not hurt
apples packed in barrels, or in cellar
open so as to give free ventilation.
had apples kept in perfect condition
from midsummer until we had ice four
inches thick on the pond alongside the
ice house where they were kept, and
they would be there yet, if the boys
had not eaten them.
A room then as cool as we can get
it and keep it, clear of bad odors of all
sorts, clean barrels, facilities to venti-
late at night, and shut up and protect
from midday sun and heat, will keep
our fruit, Chat is not already ripe) if
hand picked and carefully handled
we'll into or through our winter, with a
very small per cent of loss. Dampness
is no detriment to keeping, rather an
advantage if the place is cold enough,
else it causes must, and spoils the fla
vor oe fruit.
The how, to provide cold storage for
large quantities of apples from the
time they are picked until sold. is not
SO difficult problem. 1t is done in
every part of the country where the
business has been fairly developed.
Here I believe that cellars will prove
the best and cheapest for maintaining
an even and low temperature. The
less wood work there is about to decay
the better. When the earth will not
admit of building capacious cellars by
reason of surface water, the double
lined house such as is used for ice stor-
age above ground will have to be res
orted to. 1t is the midday sun and
our hot Indian summer weather, that
usually does the mischief in making
our fruit too ripe to keep, and starting
that which is ripe on the road to decay.
There is no trouble here among the
hills in finding plenty of spots where
cellars can be dug into the north hill
sides with an entrance through double
door on the level, and so sheltered that
the sun can never shine directly upon
them to warm up the interior. l have
such an one that works admirably.
Ws have many localities where we can
excavate such cellars that will stand
for years without a wall il prote cted
from the action of frost. Arched with
stone or brick they will last for centu-