10 THE COLD STORAGE OF SMALL FRUITS. 



OUTLINE OF EXPERIMENTS IN SMALL-FRUIT STORAGE. 



Since September, 1901, man}' probleDis relating to the cold storage 

 of fruits have received attention in connection with the field investiga- 

 tions in pomology of the Bureau of Plant Industry. For three years 

 of this period the small fruits have been given special attention. 



In these experiments the factors atfecting the keeping of small fruits 

 in cold storage, such as the influence of soil and climatic conditions, 

 the time of picking, the methods of handling, the types of packages, 

 wrappers, and the temperatures in the storage house have been under 

 investio-ation. The effect of cold storage on the flavor and aroma of 

 the fruit and the behavior of the fruit when withdrawn from storage 

 have also received consideration. 



Subsequent investigations of the Bureau of Plant Industry will bear 

 upon a number of these problems, and while the principles laid down 

 in this publication as a result of the tests are believed to be correct, 

 they may be modified more or less by the additional light afforded by 

 subsequent experiments. This report, therefore, should be regarded 

 as preliminary rather than as conclusive and final. 



The principal varieties of small fruits used in the experiments are as 

 follows: Johnson Early, Tennessee, and Gandy strawberries; Early 

 Harvest and Erie blackberries; Miller, Kansas, and Doolittle rasp- 

 berries; Lucretia dewberries; Howard Bell cranberries; Versaillaise 

 currants, and Houghton gooseberries. From eight to twenty-four 

 16-quart crates of each variety were generally used in each season's 

 test. These fruits, with the exception of the cranberries, which were 

 obtained from a New Jersey grower, were furnished by a number 

 of small-fruit growers in Alexandria and Fairfax counties, Virginia. 

 The fruit was brought to Washington by wagon, all of the growers 

 being located within 8 to 10 miles of the storage house, and was stored 

 from four to eight hours after picking in the cold-storage department 

 of the Center Market, at Washington, D. C. 



The names of the several small-fruit growers from whom fruit was 

 procured, and the principal varieties furnished by each, areas follows: 



Brown, J. K., Alexandria, Va., Versaillaise currants, Houghton 

 gooseberries, and Early Harvest blackberries. 



Durell, E. H., Bell Plain, N. J., Howard Bell cranberries. 



Leonard, David, Westend, Va., Gandy and Tennessee strawberries, 

 and Kansas raspberries. 



Sherwood, D. C, Westend, Va., Tennessee strawberries, Doolittle 

 and Miller raspberries, Lucretia dewberries, and Erie blackberries. 



Shreve, R. E. T., Westend, Va., Johnson Early strawberries. 



Sprankle, W. T., Falls Church, Va., Early Harvest blackberries. 



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