38 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



its standing at the present time, and on the extent and merit of 

 the exhibition it has drawn together on this occasion, I announce 

 the convention now open for further business. 



THE APPLE IN COLD STORAGE. 



By G. Harold Pow^eee^ Pomologist in Charge of Fruit Storage 

 Investigations, U. S. Department of Agricuhure. 



(The following is an outline of an illustrated talk by Mr. 

 Powell on the above subject.) 



There has been a remarkable development in commercial apple 

 growing in the United States within the last 30 years following 

 the opening of the interior of the country by the transcontinental 

 railway, and by more recently completed lines. Apple culture at 

 the present time is no longer an infant industry but it ranks as 

 a highly specialized form of American agriculture. In 1900 

 there were more than 200,000,000 apple trees in the United 

 States which yield from 40,000,000 to 60,000,000 'barrels of fruit 

 in a normal season. In the decade from 1890 to 1900 about 80,- 

 000,000 apple trees came into bearing or an average annual 

 increase of nearly 7 per cent, during that period. 



Nature does not produce her crops uniformly throughout the 

 year, and unless there is some means of equalizing the distribu- 

 tion of the crop temporary gluts are bound to follow in the mark- 

 ets. Not long ago the apple crop had to be sold quickly after har- 

 vesting near the centers of production to prevent excessive waste 

 from decay. The quantities received were often so great that 

 the large markets were congested at the height of the season 

 when enormous amounts of fruit wxre sacrificed for less than the 

 cost of freight. At the same time the supply in many of the 

 larger distant cities and in most of the smaller interior towns, 

 was unequal to the demand, while all of the markets were prac- 

 tically barren of apples during a greater part of the year. The 

 danger from gluts in the fruit market, as in every other industry, 

 is reduced as we master the art of handling the temporary sup- 

 ply by storing it and distributing it at home and abroad in time 

 of greater need. 



