382 BOARD OF AGEICULTUEE. 



Could this Society become a member of the Apple Shippers' Association 

 you spoke of? 



Mr. Keach: No; you could not become a member, but it is their desire 

 to be in as close touch with the various Horticultural Societies as possi- 

 ble, and that is readily explained. Their interests are identical with 

 yours. If no apples are raised they have no business. If their business 

 is to prosper, the apple growing business must prosper, and they are 

 interested in bringing up the quality to as high point as possible, because 

 there is today an export demand for apples that runs up in the neighbor- 

 hood of 2,000,000 barrels yearly, and as to how much that can be in- 

 creased, depends largely upon growers of the United States. That can 

 be increased in proportion to quality of fruit they raise and attention 

 they give to raising and handling of it. Marliets are open to us, and 

 there is not any such thing as over-production. 



Mr. Maish: Have you had any experience in storage of small fruits 

 —strawberry, raspberry, blackberry and grapes? 



Mr. Keach: Yes, sir; 1 have had experience in cold storage with 

 small fruits, strawberries, raspberries, and various berries of tender na- 

 ture. Cold storage is useless except where a surplus may arrive on a 

 glutted market, or carried over temporarily from day to day, but there 

 would be no object in placing strawberries in cold storage to hold for 

 any length of time. There is no purpose in it and strawberries are 

 something that ripens every day and should be sold every day. As to 

 grapes, the results are very good. Grapes can be held in perfect condi- 

 tion in cold storage with very little shelling, unless held too long. Can 

 hold grapes for fifteen to twenty days, that carries you generally out of 

 the glut. You can hold them fifteen or tAventy days with very little shell- 

 ing. After that they age up and stems and grapes shell off. 



Mr. Swaim: In regard to other varieties of pears, summer pears, how 

 long can Bartlett be held safely? 



Mr. Keach: Bartlett pears raised in vicinity of cold storage, handled 

 carefully, picked at proper time, which is when pear is matured and not 

 when it has remained on the tree until colored, but when it has its 

 growth, can be held with every degree of safety for six weeks, and will 

 color up in cold storage and come out in its most desirable condition. 



Mr. Swaim: How about keeping quality after taken out? 



Mr.. Keach: Fruit, such as Bartlett pears, coming out of cold storage 

 is not expected to keep any great length of time, as for instance, when 

 we have in cold storage Bartlett pears, we bring to the house each time 

 what we expect to sell. If weather is warm we bring them in smaller 

 quantities— what we expect to sell in two or three hours. If pears are 



