The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-10-25
COLD STORAGE To
AID APPLE MARKET
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE MAKES
SUGGESTIONS.
CARE IN II A N Dill G
PROMPT STORING AFTER CAREFUL.
PICKING AND PROPER TEN
PERATURE ESSENTIAL
70 SUCCESS.
CARE IN II A N DL IN G

In view of the interference with the
European market and the large pro-
duction of American apples this sea-
son. specialists of the Department OF
Agriculture call the attention Of ap-
pie growers to the advantages of cold
storage for steadying the market at
harvest and for lengthening the SELL
ing period.
Giutting OF the market will result,
1t Is feared, in many thousands of bar
rels OF good apples rotting In the orch-
ard or being disposed OF at prices
which figure net loss to the grower.
The following are the directions
given by the. apple handling special
lists of the department for using cold
storage successfully in handling APP
pies:
The lropsr function of cold storage
Is to retard the ripening processes OF
/ the frLi. And the development of de-
cay organisms and skin blemishes. The
! first responsibility for the keeping
quality of his fruit rests with the
grower. since II is his growing and
handling methods that largely deter
mine Its vitality. freedom from dis
ease and general condition when
stored. Cold storage is not a remedy,
or a restorative for poorly developed,
weak. imperfect fruit. but Is the most
effective method of preserving the
quality, favor and appearance pos
sessed by tho fruit at time OF picking.
The first step in successful cold stor-
age of apples has been found to lie
in the practice Of such cultural, spray
Ing and pruning methods as insure
production of SOUND, healthy, we'll
colored fruit. free from disease. As
Stunning this as the first requisite. the
following factors have been found to
most influence the keeping quality of
the fruit, and furnish best conditions
for long storage:
i. Proper maturity at time Of pick
ing.
4 O. Care in all handling operations.
! g. Prompt storage after picking.
I 4. A proper storage temperature.
Maturity Tests.
Careful and extensive Investigations
/ have demonstrated that fruit picked
at fun maturity can be held fora
Tfunger period IN storage, and is less
affected by scald and decay than that
picked when somewhat immature,
% important commercial varieties
I X ne Beauty and Winesap--haye
been found to be especially susceptible
to rcaid during storsge If picked pre-
naturely. There Is no doubt that sew
eral thousand dollars are lost 10 the
I industry each year through the i'm
proper picking OF these tive varieties
alone The results emphasize strongly
mat more caro- and attention should,
be paid to this detail of the harvest
ing operations than Is usually the
case.
I BY full maturity. however, Ia not
meant over maturity, which may cause
fully as heavy losses as immaturity
1 a . ~
fruit and his own conditions In order
to determine the proper picking stage.
Probably the most reliable single in
dication OF maturity Is the whitening
or slight yellowing OF the ground
color" OF the fruit. This 10 the color
underlying the blush or red color. and
should not be confused with the lat
! ter
/ Careful Handling.
/ Care in all handling operations il
the second important requisite of sue
which the common blue mold is an
example, are known to be unable to
attack and cause decay of healthy,
unintured fruit. In spite OF this fact,
very serious rots both in storage and
In transit to market are the work
| OF fungi OF this type. and the largest
contributory cause In all cases 10 bruis-
ing or skin breaking suffered by the
Il fruit in the picking and packing oper-
'auons. Microscopic bruises and
breaks in the skin are large enough to
AFFORD entrance to the spores of these
fungi and the necessity for the utmost
caro- In all operations connected with
the handling OF the fruit to avoid
hruising and mechanical injuries ID
moro urgent than most growers real
ice.
! Prompt Storage.
i There is q marked difference in
condition between fruit stored prompt
ly after picking. say not more than
two days later. and otherwise compar-
able lots of which the storage 10 do
layed ten days or two weeks. Such
delay Il especially injurious during q
period Of warm. humid weather. The
delayed fruit at withdrawal from
storage IL rpsr. yellower and duller
than the corresponding Immediate
stored fruit, and In addition develops
more serious scald ana decay. The
importance Of eliminating all avoid
abba delay In storing cannot be too
strongly emphasized.
4 Storage T0unpogAtufcU.
Thirty-one TO thirty-two degrees
! Fahrenheit 10 the standard storage
Temperature for apples. and this had
been found to be the best for long
/ keeping OF the fruit Higher temper
aturss permit the ripening Of the fruit
to advance more rapidly than 1t 81
/ to - dsgreea r., with the result that
tho fruit ct these temperatures reach
ed tho end Of its storage life much
sooner. In addition. the lower tom
;perature Petards most effectively the
/ development of fungus decays and
skin blemishes. For q short storage
| period higher temperatures may bs
used without serious trouble. especial
lily with the 4bettar keeping varieties
but for long keeping u to ~ degrees
If, will best maintain the color. quail
Iity ana texture Of the fruit,
1 Apples should b. withdrawn fren'
storage while still arm. And In THU
icondition can be held on the market
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