The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-09-27
HOME II
STORE APPLES FOR WINTER
Iowa Growers Give Detailed Plans for Packing
and Handling Fruit for Storage

tastes better and sells better When it
comes out of storage, but for some
reason which is not very well under
stood, keeps better than fruit picked
when a little green. The only excep-
ton to this rule is fruit borne by
young trees which are growing rap
idly. Fruit from such trees will keep
best if picked when a trife green.
Fruit must not be picked when over
ripe, since then it will rapidly de-
teriorate and become mealy. In or
der that the very best grade of APP
Piles may be secured for storage, sew
eral pickings must be made.
AS soon as the apples are picked
and good grade is sorted out for
storing, the fruit must be taken as
rapidly as possible to the storage
house, or else placed in some cool
place until removal to the place of
storage. This is very important, as
apples very rapidly deteriorate after
they are picked if the temperature is
at all high.
| There are several places in which
apples can be stored on the ordinary
farm. The old-fashioned method
was to put them in pit. This works
splendidly in some seasons, but in
others the whole crop may be lost
The general directions for pit storing
are to dig pit two or three feet
deep, three or four feet wide and
/ as long as necessary. Line the bot
toms and the sides with straw, then
pile in the apples to the depth OF
three or four feet and put on a
! foot or two of straw, soil and posi-
bly, some manure. A small opening
is best left at the top of the pile to
provide ventilation This should be
closed at night and during days OF
the coolest weather. Pit storing of
apples is rather risky business unless
| one, by practice, has learned the art
| We have tasted some mighty fine APP
pies coming out of pit storage.
A root cellar is a good place to
store apples, although it is generally
not as cool as it should be by the
middle or last of September when
most of the fall apples are ready tc
be stored. The quicker apples may
be brought down to a tempera ture
| of from 80 to 40 degrees after pick
inc, the longer they will keep.
temperature above so degrees after
+ picking causes apples, even though
/ they may be of the best quality and
unbruised, to go through a ripenine
! process which soon makes them I'M
| fit for storage Should apples be
wrapped? our correspondent asks
Experiments have proved that it pays
in some cases because it increases the
storage life of the apples and i'm
, prove the quality. Unwrapped apples
are more likely to lose water and
wilt, Also rot may more easily
! spread among them. 1t may pay to
wrap the very best fruit for the fam
cy market, or for home use For the
ordinary commercial market, it is
doubtful if it pays. Barrels, boxes
and crates have all been used for
storing apples. Experiments have
proved that Stat crates which let in
the air are not as good as either
tight boxes or barrels. The very best
container for stored apples is a small
tight box. Fruit in a small box rap
idly cools off when placed in storage
while fruit in a tight box loses less
by loss of moisture and willing
There is not great amount of diff
ference between boxes, barrels and
crates.
Apples may be stored in the cellar
of the ordinary dwelling house, but
this we do not advise. Negetab les and
fruits are unhealthy things 10 have
below the living rooms. They are
likely to develop odors and furnish
an attractive home for harmful bac-
terra.