Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-08-22

It's just ABOUT as eaSOnaple TO eA-
pose butter to the heat OF the mid
summer sun and expect it to retain
it's firm, solid consistency as it is
to try to keep apples in an attractive
marketable condition in the storage
houses available on many farms. An
efficient storage is the growers IN
surance against loss; it permits Of
carrying the fruit in good condition
after it is removed from the orchard
and previous to the time when IL is
consigned to commercial storage.
Common storage consists of an mex
pensive, ventilated house for the
storage of apples for the season, util-
izing natural ventilators with cold
night air instead of refrigeration.
Another use of common storage is
to furnish temporary housing for
the crop so that the apples may be
kept under favorable conditions after
picking and previous to shipment tC
market or permanent cold storage.
Time was-and not so very remote
at that-when common storage for
apples was prerequisite on every
farm which bGaSted much of an or
chard, and this applies equally to the
eastern as we'll as to the northern
and western states.
A new interest is developed in
common storage for apples partlcu-
larly in the eastern states. as we'll as
in other sections of the country, such
as the Pacific northwest where about
SO per cent of the apples placed in
storage are held through the season
in common storage houses.
1t is not to be supposed that com
mon storage for apples can displace
the commercial cold storage ware
house which offers greatly improved
conditions for proper. storage. How
ever, the insufficiency of cold storage
space during the war period in many
of the old apple growing sections as
6iftlnnlflpS handling
moving the crop promptly, empha-
sized the Importance of better facili-
ties for the handling of storage APP
pies, and the new districts planted
entirely without commercial storage
warehouses. The United States de-
partment of agriculture is receiving
many inquiries from fruit growers
and shippers in all sections of the
country relative to the proper con-
struction of suitable apple storages.
Federal investigations Of the ham
ding and storage of apples, which
have been conducted with special
reference to the Pacific Northwest,
have shown that properly insulated
storages, provided with the neces-
sary means of ventilation, can be
successfully operated, and allow the
grower to hold his fruit in prime
condition for the market.
Care in the operation of these
as in their construction. The best
of storage houses sometimes fail
through the carelessness of the OWN
ers in neglecting to provide proper
ventilation for the building, particu-
larly as regards the provision of VEN
whom the temperature conditions out
side make it desirable, while the
ventilators should be closed tightly
whenever the outside temperatures
are higher than those inside the
house. Carefully worked out plans
and drawings are being prepared by
the United States Department of
Agriculture and will be sent free on
request to any farmer.
The early commercial storage
houses were insulated with mill
ShayingS and SaWduSt, Investigations
by the federal department demon
strating that these materials are
ideally suited for insulation and not
so expensive as cardboard and other
prepared insulation materials. 1t is
essential to keep all insulation ma
terial dry, this being why shavings
are preferred to sawdust, as it is
difficult to obtain cry sawdust in
large quantities. On the other hand,
pNlner mill shavingS made from sea-
soned lumber require no artificial
in the wall, which must be at least
inches thick The outside wall Of
the storage house should be COM
pose dof two layers of boards be-
tween which da Tatern pro fssd paper
to duplicate this in the inside wall,
as here only one thickness of boards
may be used in the interest of cheap
err construction, although such an
arrangement is not as satisfactory
for long use as in a double thick
ness of boards on both inside and
outside surfaces of the walls and
ceiling.
The common storage house should
be built with a false floor approx
imately feet above the earth or
concrete floor. Intake vents should
be placed on four sides Of the
house, opening below the level of
the false floor. The intake vents
should be at least "a by 80 inches
and should be provided with tight
fitting insulated doors. being placed
should extend from the ceiling of
the storage rom vertically to the
roof and should open into the GU
pola, the lower end of the outlet
flue in each case being provided
with door to be closed whenever
the intake vents are closed The
outlet flues should be not less than
20 square feet in cross section for
every 5000 square feet of floor
space. The ventilation is usually
accomplished at nlSnI, DIS tne tenn
perature at that time usually is
lower than during the day, although
even then 1t requires careful at
tention.
In the storage of apples about
| cubic feet of storage space are
necessary for the accommodation
of each barrel of fruit. On this
basis any grower can quickly de-
termine the amount of space he
needs. The height of the storage
room ordinarily should be about IL
feet from floor to ceiling.
Handling the Apples
The question is often asked:
"Why does one lot of apples keep
we'll in storage while another lot
Of the same variety will show de-
cay and costly deterioration early