Winter Meeting. 233 



nothing about another matter of the same character ; that is, apples should 

 not be wet when packed. It is poor policy to pick more than what fruit 

 vou can pack the same day as picked. If you have a very heavy dew and 

 the apples are wet in the morning, they should be allowed to dry off on 

 the apple table before going into the barrel. Xow, I know what a great 

 many, possibly not a great many, but some packers as well as growers 

 of fruit will say to this and other points that I have mention^ed. They 

 will say : "Why, I have packed apples just after a rain when the fruit 

 was wet, and it never hurt them a bit. I have had' apples piled on the 

 ground two days before being put in the barrels, and it never hurt them 

 a bit. Why, I let my barrels stay in the orchards for a week before 

 shipping, being subjected to the hot sun in the day and the heavy dews 

 at night, and it never hurt them a bit.'' 



While I am willing to admit that all these things that I have men- 

 tioned do not always seemingly hurt the fruit ; yet there is no question 

 but what if these little details are carefully looked after, your general 

 results will be much better. It is hard to convince a man whose fruit 

 has been in storage six months and is sold at a loss on account of heavy 

 shrinkage, that it was too ripe when put in ; or that the fruit was not 

 well and carefully handled when picked. I would rather say now to 

 any prospective cold storage customers that the best results are obtained 

 from using the best judgment as to when to pick and the most careful 

 handling of your fruit, than to try to explain afterwards for any heavy 

 shrinkages. There is no state secret about cold storage, and any reputable 

 house with modern facilities should be able to furnish the very best of cold 

 storage. Perfect cold storage for apples simply means uniform tem- 

 perature of from 32 to 34 degrees, and a room free from excessive mois- 

 ture. There should also be sufficient circulation of air to carry off gases 

 that naturally arise from some decaying fruit. Then the fruit should be 

 handled carefully in and out. Barrels should not be rolled ; but placed on 

 trucks at the car, and trucked to the place where they are piled. After 

 they are once piled, they should never be "taken down except for inspec- 

 tion, until they are ready to go out. These are rules that we have always 

 observed, and we have had the very best success with fruit that was 

 properly handled and packed for storage. 



Before closing, allow me to call your attention to the growing de- 

 mand for apples packed in bushel boxes. Several years ago only very 

 fancy sorts were packed this way. Xow on a great many markets any 

 apple packed in boxes will bring relatively more money and sell better 

 than when packed in barrels. They are easier handled, permit of more 

 careful inspection of the fruit, are just as economical as regards cost of 

 package and labor, and find ready sale amongst a class of people who 



