Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-10-20
Storing the Apple Crop.

Harvesting and marketing the apple
crop is an important subject at this
time of year. One of the best authori'
ties on the subject in New England is j,
w. Clark of western Massachusetts,
Some of the points he made at the last
annual meeting of the New Hampshire
Horticultural Society are helpful. He
said, growing the crop is but half the
race, and at the outset the fruit grower
must understand that unless a crop has
been we'll grown the best of handling
cannot make poor or medium fruit re-
turn No. price.
Apples should never be picked un
I'll they have reached maturity. II
picked green they will never be of as
good flavor or color as when left on the
trees. Neither will they keep as well
when put in cold storage. An i'm
mature apple is more liable to scald than
one that is well colored. Apples when
picked should not be left in piles on the
ground, az the heat of the earth hastens
the ripening of the fruit. The apple
ripens much faster after it has been
picked if the weather has been warm
than when left on the tree.
III an orchardist decides to sell his
fruit through commission men his re-
turns will be more satisfactory If he will
select some good, reliable house in the
market where he wants 10 sell his fruit,
and ship TO them year after year, as long
as he is satisfied with the prices re-
turned In this way, il the fruit is
honestly packed and the packers name
is placed on the barrel, the market will
soon get to know that the quality of the
fruit can be depended upon, and will
call for it, paying better prices than ii
the fruit had been shipped TO different
house each year.
APPLE STORAGE IMPORTANT.
Commercial orcharding as business
cannot afford TO follow the old way OF
storing fruit in cellars or in buildings
where the temperature varies with that
of the atmosphere outside. OF course,
there are exceptions, for in some cellars
the fruit keeps well, but it is not the
rule. The grower who wants to hold
his fruit until late in the season should
either ship it to some cold storage house
in a large city, or furnish suitable
place at home. The cost of holding
apples in storage varies from forty to
sixty cents per barrel, according to To-
cality. The expense in many cases pre-
vents the grower from taking adyan
tage of the higher price usually obtain
ed from holding fruit until late in the
season.
1t often happens that there is build
ing already on the place which is little
used that can be converted with small
expense into a suitable house for stor
ing fruit. Ice is an important factor IN
running such house, and the cost OF
obtaining it should be taken into
account when deciding on the advisable
ty of storing fruit at home.
Cold storage does not add anything
to the quantity or quality or value OF
fruit. 1t simply holds the fruit without
variation at certain degree of tempera
ture, which for apples is thirty-two, and
does not insure against loss from decay
or spread of disease. Fruit that is wei
grown, free from disease, picked at the
right time, and placed in cold storage al
soon as picked, will continue sound fol
long time. | favor building in which
the temperature can be controlled
New England Homestead.