FRUIT STORAGE INVESTIGATIONS 197 



improperly piped or insulated the temperature will not be uniform. 

 Parts of the rooms may be too cold, and parts too warm. This is 

 especially true in very large rooms. This does not necessarily mean 

 that small rooms are most desirable and efficient. Quite the reverse. 

 Under proper conditions it is relatively easier lO maintain a large room 

 in a uniform condition than a small one, because of the smaller pro- 

 porton of wall space to air volumes. 



It is beyond the limits of this paper to describe the various types 

 of storage houses. There are two classes of storage houses; common 

 storage houses and cold storage houses. The former are not provided 

 with equipment for artificial refrigeration, cool temperatures in the 

 rooms being maintained by opening the rooms during cold days and 

 nightsand closing while the outdoor temperatures are high. Naturally 

 the temperature conditions possible under these conditinos are 

 not as uniform as can be maintained in artificial cooling. This equip- 

 ment may consist of ice, ice and salt, or of machinery for producing 

 refrigeration. The common storage plants are located at railroad points, 

 and as a general rule are operated by commercial warehousemen, 

 although some large producers operate their own cold storage plants. 



The standard storage temperature for apples has been found to 

 be 32 degrees. Fahr., and this temperature has so far proved satis- 

 factory for all variteies with possibly one exception. This is the Yellow 

 Newton produced in the Pajaro "Valley of California, which holds best at 

 a temperature near 3 5 degrees Fahr. 



The various factors which have been mentioned as having import- 

 ant influences on the keeping quality of fruit products will be discussed 

 in the order named. 



Influence of tlie Place of Production. 



There is a widespread opinion that tiie region producing a variety 

 of fruit has little or no influence upon its behavior in storage. The 

 investigations of the department show that such a view is erroneous. A 

 great many varieties of apples have oeen studied, and these have 

 been obtained from different districts of the United States. It has 

 been found that the place and conditions of production have a material 

 influence on the keeping qualities of different varieties. Moreover, 

 the soil upon which the fruit is produced affects its keeping qualities 

 in cold storage. Differences of from one to three montlis in the length 

 of time a variety may be held in good condition have been due to the 

 influence of different places of production. 



Influence of the Method Culture. 



The methods of culture and care in the orchard are also factors 

 affecting the keeping qualities of the fruit. The character of the tillage, 

 the pruning, the age of the trees and the climatic conditions may be 

 governing factors in the behavior of the fruit in storage. Large, 

 coarse and sappy fruits produced by young trees do not have as good 



