38 State Horticultural Society, 



advantage to the economical running of a cold storage plant. Our 

 house, as it now stands, has about 35,000 feet insulated and piped ready 

 for use, which holds about 3,300 barrels. When finished, the whole 

 capacity of the house will be 6,000 or more barrels. Ours is the am- 

 monia process, direct expansion with forced ventilation. This forced 

 ventilation will be found by all who use it to be very necessary in the 

 preservation and handling of apples. The machinery used in a plant of 

 this kind is so constructed that a man of average intelligence who can 

 manage the ordinary machines in every-day use can operate these after 

 a few lessons from the manufacturer's experts. 



We find that we can maintain any desired temperature, and our 

 fruit has been preserved equal to the best that we have seen. The 

 apples in many cases being too hard to be real good for present use, but 

 all the better for the dealer who handled them, as there was little danger 

 of loss to him. 



A storage house situated in an orchard section is a benefit in a gen- 

 eral way to the growers of the community. They get a better idea of 

 the right way to grow and handle or pack their fruit for storage pur- 

 poses. 



DISCUSSION ON COLD STORAGE. 



J. G. Briggs — We would like to hear Mr. Flournoy's opinion as to 

 what degree of temperature he thinks best suited to keep apples. 



Mr. Flournoy — I think the best temperature for apples is from 31 

 to 40. There is more latitude permissible where the fruit goes directly 

 to storage than in cases where it is shipped some distance to the storage 

 houses, hence we run from 31 to 40. The fruit keeps firm when picked 

 and put at once into cold storage. 



G. T. Tippin — A temperature of from 31 to 40 will not ripen 

 apples as much as three or four days of shipping. There is no danger 

 at 40 degrees if the apples are put into the building direct from the field 

 and not allowed to ripen beforehand. 



Wm. H. Barnes — Varieties are not all the same. Ben Davis will 

 hold at a high degree, while others will discolor. 



President Whitten— Which temperature favors the discoloration, the 

 high or low? 



Mr. Barnes — Too low a temperature will cause discoloration. York 

 is best at 35 degrees, and Dominie a little higher, perhaps. We tried 

 87 varieties at once, and Dominie discolored and York for three-fourths 

 of an inch under the skin ; the rest of the apple was good, but such a 

 condition, renders them unsalable. I think a self-registering thermom- 

 eter would be a good thing in all, and especially all hired storages. The 



