PROCEEDINGS OF THE ANNUAL MEETING 97 



FRUIT STORAGE FOR THE GROWER. 

 BY PROF. L. R. TAFT, MICHIGAN AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



With the increased attention paid to the growing of pears and grapes, 

 iind in some sections to the growing of apples upon a large scale, a demand 

 for information as to the best form of storage-house has arisen. As a rule 

 we do not believe it will pay the average grower, even though he may 

 have extensive orchards of winter varieties, to put up extensive storage- 

 houses, with the idea of carrying all of his fruit over until spring with the 

 hope of then securing an increased price, as it will ordinarily be better for 

 liim to ship it as soon as possible to the city where he expects to sell it, and 

 liave it stored in some of the commercial cold-storage houses, where it will 

 liave better care than the growler can hope to give. The time may come 

 when there will be co-operative cold-storage houses in some of the more 

 Important fruitgrowing sections, under the control, perhaps, of a fruit ex- 

 €hange or other shipping association, but at best they will not be in many 

 localities, and few can avail themselves of them. Even though one does 

 not intend to keep fruit until spring, a packing-house of some kind is a 

 necessity for every large grower, and if it can be so constructed that fruit 

 can be kept in it until the middle or last of December, it will permit the 

 grading and packing to be done upon rainy days, or after the other work 

 is over. If such a building is available, the fruit can be carried from the 

 orchards in baskets, boxes, or barrels and stored until attention can be 

 paid to its sorting and packing. This will be better than leaving it in piles 

 upon the ground as; aside from the danger of injury from frost, the heat 

 of the sun and the ground will hasten its ripening and shorten the keeping 

 period. When possible it is a good plan to leave the fruit picked during 

 the day in the shade until the following morning, thus giving it a chance 

 to cool, and then place it in the storage-house. 



Ordinarily it will be best to have the storage-house built above the sur- 

 face of the ground, if a building is to be constructed for fruit alone, al- 

 though a basement or cellar may be used for fniit, and if built in con- 

 nection with a fruit-house it will be an excellent place for the storage of 

 roots. 



Nearly all fruits require a cool and even temperature in order to keep 

 to the best advantage. In the case of apples, freezing will do little harm, 

 if they are thawTd slowly ; and if they can be frozen in the fall, kept frozen 

 until spring, and then thawed slowly, they will be slightly injured if at 

 all. If a storage-house can be kept from three to six degrees above the 

 freezing point, the best results will generally be secured. 



A room 30x40 feet and 8 feet high will hold 1,000 barrels, and the fruit 

 may be stored either in barrels or bins. If headed up in barrels there 

 will be rather less loss from shriveling, but there will he little difference 

 in the keeping of the fruit. When stored in bins in large masses, pro- 

 vision should be made for ventilating the bins. This can be done by using 

 fence boards resting upon 2x4 scantling for the floor, and forming bins 

 about 4 feet wide of the same materials. This will give a 4-inch air space 

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