Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1914-09-24

of Government Investigation oi
Cold Storage Of Apries.
Through the courtesy cf thu Nor
Pacific Fruit Distributors o; Spo. {
we are enabled this week to Civ
1.-THE following report which is vi:ally
interesting to all fruit growers:
The proper function Of cold stor
age is to retard the rirening process
es of the fruit and the developme eni
of decay organisms and skin blem, sh
les. The first responsibility fer the
keeping quality of his fruit res.s with
the grower since it is his grow ne
and handling methods that largely
determine its vitality, freedom from
disease, and general condition when
stored. Cold storage is not remedy,
or a restorative for poorly developed,
weak, imperfect fruit, but is the
most effective method of prSs srying
the quality, flavor and appearance
possessed by the fruit at time of pick
ing.
The first step in successful Geld
storage of apples has been found to
lie in the practice of such cultural,
spraying and pruning methods as in
sure production of the sound, healthy,
well colored fruit, free from disease.
Assuming this as the first requis tie,
the following factors have been found
to most influence the keeping quality
of the fruit, and furnish best condi-
tions for long storage.
1. Proper maturity at time Of pick
ing.
2. Care in all handling operations.
g. Prompt storage after picking.
A. A proper storage temperature.
MATURITY TESTS.
Careful and extensive Investigations
have demonstrated that fruit picked
at full maturity can be held fer a
longer period in storage, aud is less
affected by scald and decay than that
picked when somewhat immature.
Two important commercial varieties.
Rome Beauty and Winesap, have
been found to be especially suscepti-
BILE to scald during storage, if pick
ed prematurely. There is no doubt
that several thousand dollars are lost
to the industry each year through
the improper picking of these two
varieties alone. The results emphasi-
re strongly that more care and atten-
tion should be paid to this detail of
the harvesting operations than is U.s.
ually the case.
By full maturity, however, is not
meant over-maturity, which may eau
Sc fully as heavy losses as immature
ty Each grower should study his own
fruit and his own conditions in order
70 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 is the color |
the blush or red color and |
should not be confused with the lat
ter.
CAREFUL HANDLING.
Care in all handling operations is
the second important requisite of sue
cessful storage A class of fungi, of
which the common blue mold is an
example, are known to be unable to
attack and cause decay of healthy,
uninjured 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 cas-
es is bruising or skin breaking suf-
fered by the fruit in the picking and
packing operation. Microscopic bTu:-
ses and breaks in the skin are large
enough to afford entrance to the
spores of these fungi and the necess-
ity for the utmost care in all opera
lions connected with the handling Of
The fruit to avoid bruising and mech
anical injuries is more urgent than
most growers realize.
PROMPT STORAGE.
There is a marked difference in
condition between fruit stored. as
soon as possible after picking, usual
Iy not more than two days later, and
otherwise comparable lots of which
the storage was delayed ten days or
two weeks. Such delay is especially
Injurious during period Of warm,
humid weather The delayed fruit at
from storage is ripper, vel
lower and duller than the correspond
ing Immediate" stored fruit and in
addition develops more serious scald
and decay. The Importance of elimin-
ating all avoidable delay cannot be
too strongly emphasized.
LOST.--A gold watch and chain,
case. Finder please return