INDIANA HOETICULTURAL SOCIETY. 2G9 



Perfect cold storage is the ideal method of keeping apples and the 

 nearer we can approach it in a farm storage the better. I have found 

 a cave l)uilt in the side hill, arched over with bricli and covered with 

 dirt and sodded, very satisfactory, but we do not all have side hills, and 

 for those who are so unfortunate I would recommend a building double 

 walled with air spaces between and lined throughout with building paper. 

 I have seen such buildings that gave very good satisfaction. But after 

 all, A'ery much depends upon the quality of the fruit. There is no system 

 of storage that will make first class apples out of culls, and it will never 

 pay to try to keep any but the best, and thej' must be handled with the 

 gi-eatest care and should be stored as soon as possible after picking. 



Marketing apples has been a very simple matter for the past few 



* years. You only have to make it known that you have them and you 



will have plenty of buyers. If you are near enough to a good local 



market to be your commission man, and have the apples, the rest is easy. 



W. D. Thomas: I am glad to be present and hear the subject that has 

 just been read. Mr. Keach has not only touched upon the subject as- 

 signed to him, but he has touched generally upon tlie possibilities ot 

 apple growing in Indiana. Now, I knoAV nothing about cold storage, and 

 the management of the fruit after it is ripened. I have made some ob- 

 servations that might l)e prolitalile to the people in this audience. I have 

 just recently, within the last twelve or fifteen years, entered into the 

 growing of fruit. I was raised on a farm, when farmers grew fruit a 

 good deal like the majority of people grow it today. The growing and 

 gathering of apples is a thing that is very much neglected with the com- 

 mon farmer. My opinion is that apples should be gathered when they 

 are ripe, not too ripe. They should be picked carefully, selected possibly 

 while picking, and carry them immediately to its storage, if possible 

 to a good cool cellar, where it is put into a box, perhaps a Ijushel and a 

 half box, put the top on it, make it almost airtight. My method is to 

 put them in boxes and pile the Iwxes one upon the other until I pile 

 it full to the ceiling. Along in the middle of December, I go into my 

 cellar and take down a box— I have two— one sitting to one side of me 

 and one on the other side. I sort them over. Every one that is perfect 

 I put into one box, and every one that is imperfect I put into another. 

 I mark the perfect apples, and market them. I have been able to keep 

 the Grimes Golden by this process until the middle of May in the cellar. 

 I have been able to keep the Winesap until the middle of .lune in perfect 

 condition. First simply sort them and put away the perfect ones. All 

 the imperfect ones I consume or sell. 



A great many things could be said that are interesting and profitable 

 to the general farmer, but there are more that Avish to talk a little upon 

 this subject, therefore I will defer any further remarks. 



