COLD STORAGE INVESTIGATION'S 



137 



plans for experiments looking toward a solution of this problem have 

 been formulated by the Experiment Station at Ames. 



Sod vs. Cultivated Fruit. 



It has been our experience that the method of cultivation has had 

 less to do with the keeping qualities of fruit than the maturity. The 

 sodded orchards will ripen their fruit earlier than cultivated soils. 

 Given the same degree of ripeness and the fruit will keep practically 

 the same. Sod orchards will color the fruit better and therefore 

 will tend to decrease the amount to scald on varieties susceptible to 

 scald. 



Packages. 



The package tests have not given any very reliable results that 

 would lead us to believe that one package was very much better than 

 another for keeping apples. The smaller packages, such as boxes, 

 will tend to reduce the amount of bruising from handling and will 

 tend to cool down to storage temperatures quicker than the larger 

 packages, like the barrel. If the fruit can be stored within a reason- 

 able length of time, however, the package is not so important as the 

 methods of handling. The old method of storing apples in loose lath 

 crates is to be discouraged, however, as this kind of package will 

 allow a greater loss of moisture than the closed package, thus causing 

 greater shriveling. 



Kate cf CoollKg of A'^jples in Stoi-age. 



It may be of interest to know how long it takes an apple to cool 

 down to storage temperature when taken from the orchard to the 

 storage plant. During the season of 1913, on August 29th, \\w 

 boxes of Wealthy apples were placed in storage at 5 p. m. A ther- 

 mometer was placed in each box with the bulb at the core of the 

 center apple. The following table will show the rate of cooling: 



8/29 



8/30 



8/30 



8/31 



9/1 



It will be noted that box No. 1 was cooler than box No. 2. This 

 is accounted for by the fact that No. 1 was picked the morning of 

 The 2 9th while box No. 2 was picked the afternoon of the 28th, both 

 vere packed the forenoon of the L-9th. Itwill also be noted that 

 box No. 2 cooled more rapidly than No. 1. This was due to the fact 

 tjie fruit was much smaller in No. 1. 



Furthe; evidence upon the rate of cooling in cold storage may 

 be found below. It is of interest to note that the apples which were 



