The Minneapolis journal., 1903-04-22

that the tender Georgia peach can be kept
refrigerated, not merely for eight or ten
days, but for five or six weeks and come
out bright and hard and perfectly fit for
market conditions. It is matter OF SCI
entifically knowing how
In these experiments the department mas
puncturede several popular fallacies. One
idea, for example, which has been set
tied conviction in the minds of CONNER
cial fruit men, was that apples stored IN
temperature as low as 81 or 81 degrees
Fahrenheit, would deteriorate very rapidly
when taken out Such is not the case.
That is the very best temperature for
Eapple storage. s In higher tempera lures
the fruit continues to ripen and becomes
more susceptible to deterioration.
And then an regard to scalds. Apple
men know what are, and how the
apple is5snade brown in color by scaid,
when its quality is really not impaired;
only it loses about 20 per cent in selling
value rs The department finds that it is a
| nlistakeqtO imagine that earlier picking
will prevent scalds. The trouble comes
from an engine which is less present in
the ripper apples so let the apple hang
llonger,ais their advice.
~ So sssss How 1t is Done.
/ So Successful and profitable have been
1theseNperiments of 4this bureau in deter
mining the best methods Of shipment
kets, i by practical demonstration, that
Icongress made a special appropriation last
winter Of $40, 900; for it's use. With this
4 money the department buys fruits, or
more often, agrees to save the private in.
dtvidual from loss in case he will permit
the department to take charge of a Ger.
tain quantity Of his fruit and to handle i
as the department desires. 1t generally
turns out a very good thing for the pri
vate party, and the department has plent,
of cooperation. :.
/ Experiments In Lemons.
The fruit shipping demonstrations have
been broadened this season so as to in
clude strawberries, blackberries, rasp
berries, currants, gooseberries, plums ant
cherries. There are also to be some :ex
Iperiments in the cold storage of lemons
| at Chicago. It is a great question: t.
bridge over the time when the 1ernol
|comes, which is in March and the earl.
Ispring months, and keep Mr.. Lemon unit
July and August, when the lemonade fes
tival is in progress and prices are kitint
The average fruit shipper will tell yoi
that the lemon cannot be kept in col,
storage. He bases his statement on Ger
tain costly attempts which have bee1
made by private parties, in which tn
lemons have curled up and spoiled, to tn
tune of many thousands of dollars.
The department is convinced, from it!
peace experiments, that lemons can bt
successfully stored for five to six months
To prove this an agent Of the pomolgJ
bureau has gone to Chicago to arrange
with a railroad, a storage company ant
fruit growers in California, for certain
tests, in which the growers furnish tht
| lemons, and the department agrees t
stand it's share of any loss suffered. The
department, meantime, will have full su
I pervision of the fruit; from the time i
| begins to ripen to the time when i
reaches the consumer =
"A good many elements enter into the
experiments, and they are on a rather
large scale. Records are kept of the ags
of the trees on which the fruit is grown
the conditions of irrigation, the amount o
a: water, the sort of cultivation, spraying
Eetc., the time of picking, the time helt
before storage, the time consumed IL
shipment, the temperature of storage, tn
style of wrapping, sthe3method ofSpacking
and, finally, the time kept after bein,
removed from cold storage, and the pric
), Of final sale. ..s. . --+,.. =:
The department is figuring, also, OF
storing oranges, which are easier to kee1
, | than lemons. There is additional interes
in the stored orange from the fact that ou
California oranges have begun going t
, to the capitals of Europe, and, by the tim
, the Panama canal is built, it is expecte
we will be in lively competition with Medi
: terranean fruits. Then oranges will b
loaded direct into cold storage steamship
. . and sent from Californa, to England an
France. But even now the fancy fruit
in, Europe, In the citrus line, come fror
California. .,
+ The Cold Storage Track. ~
l Cold Storage Of fruit is unknown i
Europe. Chicaga&le4ds the world in thi
u industry. When our government wante
+ to exhibit fresh fruit at the Paris Expo
: sition 1t had to have a. special compart
r 1nent built in a meat storage warehouse q
D Havre. Then the fruit was stored at Me-
s York and drawn upon as needed, com
81 ing by refrigeratorFst to southamr
r ton, and thence, out Of storage, to Havr'
n The departm ent' S work in this cold sto1
d age line was suggested by the Paris Expo
:, sition experience, and dates from ths
: time. ..s
: The first establishment in the west t
Q offer mechanical refrigeration for fruit
d was opened in Chicago In 1889. A quar-
d tity of apples was stored in the followin
! year, and in the year after that, quar-
tity of pears. It's success was followe
by the erection Of many others, both j
8 Chicago and in cities adjacent to- the az
: pie producing belt. =" The estimated ca
s pacity Of these establishments is abo,
: 50,0OO,00O cubic feet.
.: =. = =. < IL III. c.. Stevens.