Cold Storage for fJic Local Fruif Trade. 55 



COLD STORAGE FOR THE LOCAL FRUIT TRADE. 



By Gr. H. Robinson. 



Tliougli tliere has been a considerable deve]o])iueiit during the past 

 decade in the application of refrigeration to the preservation of fruit 

 for transit in a fresh state to oversea markets, little has been done to 

 adapt the system to local needs. For this the fact that many varieties 

 of apples and pears keep fairly well, and for a considerable time when 

 stored at ordinary teiuperatures is partly accountable, and the wide 

 range of fruits, covering an extensive season, that can be successfully 

 grown in the Commonwealth has not been without influence in the 

 same direction. The comparatively limited amount of space available 

 in the cool stores, and the practically prohibitive figure asked for the 

 accommodation has furthered hampered progress. As a consequence, 

 growers have been content to look almost exclusively to the expansion 

 of the export trade to relieve the pressure of glutted markets in 

 periods of plenty, though a little consideration will show that there 

 are opportunities in the application of cold storage to the local fruit 

 trade awaiting those bold enough to take advantage of them. 



Perhaps no fi'uit is more generally relished than the Williams or 

 Bartlett pear, yet, in an ordinary season, when the supply is at its 

 height, the prices obtainable by the grower are not all that he would 

 desire. In this line it should ])ay handsomely to store for a month or 

 so, for the fruit, if picked at the right time, can be held in good 

 condition for at least six weeks. It may be objected that the small 

 measure of success that has attended the efforts made to ship this- 

 variety to London contradicts this view, hnt it must be remembered 

 that the conditions are by no means similar, the extra handling, the 

 absence of any check on the temperature, and the constant vibration 

 on shipboard, are factors influencing the result in no small degree, 

 and which have no place in storage on shore. The experience gained 

 in America furnishes us with a more reliable guide in estimating the 

 possibilities. _ In Western New York single honses have held at one 

 time no less than 25,000 barrels, and in the city of New York alone, as 

 many as 40,000 barrels may be in store at once. The greatest portion 

 of this supply is held for a short time only, but it is by no means 

 unusual to retain the finiit for periods of from six to eight weeks, and, 

 indeed, in trade language the life of a Bartlett in cold store is 

 reckoned at about eight weeks. 



Many of the larger canneries in the States have, of late years, been 

 equipped with refrigerating appliances, in order to extend the packing 

 season, and to keep the fruit in a first-class and firm condition. Little, 

 if anything, has been done locally in this direction, but it is interesting 

 to note that certain of our factories have recently been considering 

 the advisability of making similar provision, and there is a prospect 

 that some of our canneries will shortly be equipped with this useful 



