INTRODUCTION. 9 



vation of the conditions surroundino- the fruit in the eokl-stonige house. 

 Little consideration appears to have been oiven the conditions sur- 

 rounding the growing and handling of the fruit, though these condi- 

 tions very hirgely determine the behavior of all kinds of fruits in cold 

 storage. The only record of a systematic test of the keeping of small 

 fruits in cold storage which has come under our observation is a report 

 of a series of exi)eriments performed in England in 1898. The results 

 of this test are given in the Journal of the Board of Agriculture of 

 Great Britain for June, 1890 (p. 85), under the title ''Cold Storage of 

 Fruit." Extracts from this article are here given: 



The board of ajiritultnre have n-ceived fmin the Kent County council a report by 

 Mr. W. P. Wrii^ht, F. R. H. S., superinteuilent of horticulture under the technical 

 education comniittee, upon the result.s of experiments on the cold storage of fruit. 

 Three cold chambers were used, each fitted with two brine walls or flat tanks placed 

 in close proximity to the insulated sides of the chamber; through these tanks brine 

 cooled by a carbonic anhydride refrigerating machine was circulated at any desired 

 temperature. Each chamber was fitted with tiers of galvanized wire shelves around 

 the sides, and the fruit was placed on these under three different conditions: (1) 

 Exposed on the shelves, (2) enveloped in grease-proof j^aper, (3) surrounded or 

 covered by cotton-wool. It was found that strawl)erries could be kejtt for at lea.st 

 three weeks in a temperature of 30°, but it was necessary to surround the fruit with 

 cotton-wool, or, in the case of fruit in sieves, to place a pad of that material over the 

 top. When this precaution was not taken, the fruit, though sound, became dull and 

 lost the fresh, inviting ai)pearance which is so important when it is offered for sale. 

 Black currants kept well for ten days, after which they began to shrivel, but jjlumped 

 and freshened on exposure to the air so as to be marketal)le. This was especially the 

 case with black currants that had been stored in market sieves covered with a wad 

 of cotton-wool. After a fortnight's storage, the temperature was raised from 30° to 

 32° F., and this seem'ed to give the best results. The experiments with red cur- 

 rants were an unqualified success, the fruit remaining perfectly sound for six weeks, 

 and maintaining its freshness when exposed to a normal temperature for sixteen 

 hours. Cherries covered with wool kept for a month at a temperature of 30°, and 

 at 36° were not only sound, sweet, and juicy, but fresh and clear. After the fourth 

 week the fruit began to wrinkle. 



The small fruits above mentioned, and particularly strawberries, must, it appears, 

 be placed in store in advance of dead ripeness ; when fully ripe they will keep for 

 some time, but lose surface freshness ; the fruit must be sound, and not pecked or 

 injured in any way. * * * 



In concluding his report Mr. AVright observes that, in his opinion, people do not 

 quickly weary of high-class fruit, and a longer season than at present exists could be 

 secured for many kinds if the best quality were ensured; but, apart from this, there 

 are periods within the season of several perishable fruits— black currants, for 

 instance— when aliility to hold the pickings over, if only for a few days, would mean 

 securing an enhanced price. 



The results of this test agree in general with the results obtained 

 through the cold-storage experiments of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture as to length of time small fruits ma}^ be kept in cold 

 storage. 



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