350 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



as carefully as a costly piece of brica-brac. All punctures or bruises 

 of even the skin impair the keeping qualities. Tbe least bruise caused 

 by rolling, dropping or throwing apples into barrels may start decay 

 in one apple which will affect a dozen others around it. Face the bar- 

 rels well, but back up the face by packing, goodsized, sound fruit right 

 through. There is a growing demand for fancy apples packed in boxes, 

 there being a large retail trade that will buy a box of apples where they 

 won't take a barrel, and pay a little more in proportion. But this trade 

 wants nothing but the best. Of course there will always be a demand 

 for apples in barrels — and it is poor policy to use any but the best of 

 barrels. Use liners, both at top and bottom, and use the smallest nails 

 possible. Stencil faced end of barrel with name of variety of fruit 

 and name of owner. Get the apples into the storage-room as soon as 

 possible after they are picked. Barrels should not be rolled, but either 

 carried or run in on tracks and boxes must not be thrown in a pile like 

 cordwood, but laid down as gently as possible." 



To growers he adds : "Pack fruit for this season only ; get a 

 reputation for good, honest pack, and in time your siock will com- 

 mand a premium on the market. Not only should the fruit-grower 

 make improvements every year in the growing and handling of his 

 fruit, but the wide-awake cold storage concern will also make improve- 

 ments towards the better keeping and marketing of fruit." The Packer 

 says that among other changes to be made at this cold storage house 

 this year, such soft varieties of apples as Huntsman, York Imperial, 

 Jonathan, etc., will be kept in a temperature of 40 instead of 33, as has 

 been the custom ; the reason of this being that in past experience the 

 extreme cold temperature is the cause of "scalding." The house has, 

 therefore, opened a room especially for these soft fruits, and all who 

 agree with them in this can have their soft fruits held at this tempera, 

 ture. They will also have a large ante room, into which the fruit will 

 be first received, the temperature of which will be about 50 degrees, 

 believing that sudden change from extreme heat to extreme cold is 

 hurtful, and that the stock will hold up much better if gradually cooled. 

 They will leave stock in this room at least twenty-four hours before 

 putting it into the colder rooms. This, also, is at the option ot owner 

 of the fruit. This room will also be of benefit to the fruit when taking 

 it out in the warm spring days j for instead of going out from a tempera- 

 ture of 33 to one of 85 or 90 degrees, it will be brought out gradually, 

 thus preventing so much sweating, which takes the life out of apples. 

 It is already a complaint among fruit-dealers that cold storage apples 

 do not hold up well after coming out of storage. The cause is believed 

 to be in the sudden great change, but by making this change gradual 



