132 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST. 



Catharines Cold Storage and Foi warding 

 Co., Limited. This company has a capital 

 stock of $10,000 in shares of $10 each, 

 which is largely held by local fruit-growers 

 in varying amounts. 



During the summer of 1899 a complete 

 cold storage warehouse was erected adjacent 

 to the Grand Trunk R. R. tracks. This 

 warehouse consists of a concrete buildiug 36 

 X 60 feet, three stories in height, with walls 

 of concrete twelve inches thick, thoroughly 

 insulated on the inside with a number of dead 

 air spaces separated by double thicknesses 

 of matched lumber with insulating paper 

 between. . 



The second or main floor, which is on a 

 level with the floor of the ordinary freight 

 car, contains three cold chambers of a capac- 

 ity of about two carloads of fruit each, with 

 a large receiving room and corridor leading 

 into the cold rooms. The lower floor is 

 similarly divided, except that the machinery 

 room takes the place of the receiving room 

 on the upper floor. The third floor is used 

 for general storage. 



The entire warehouse is fitted with the 

 most approved machinery for the production 

 of a temperature ranging from 33 to 40 de- 

 grees, as may be required, by means of com- 

 pressed ammonia, which is foVced through a 

 six-ton ammonia compressor and subsequent- 

 ly allowed to expand in a series of coils, 

 thus producing intense cold. By means of a 

 powerful exhaust fan the air of the various 

 rooms is so passed between these coils over 

 which a constant brine spray is playing. 

 This spray acts as a purifier of the air on its 

 way, and it is returned to the rooms pure, 

 dry and cold. 



The air in the entire buifding makes a 

 complete circuit in a very short time, when 

 the machinery is in operation, and the re- 

 sults have so far been very satisfactory. 



This company was one of the first to be in 

 a position to take advantage of the liberal 

 provision made in the Act passed by the 

 Ontario Legislature, with a view of fostering 



this new industry amongst the dairymen 

 and fruit-growers of the province. 



The cost of the building and plant com- 

 plete was about $6,000. The annual running 

 expenses including power, attendance, insur- 

 ance, taxes, etc., is about $1,500. This 

 amount is raised partly by two methods, 

 viz.: I. A regular charge is made for 

 storing perishable products in the rooms as 

 per the following schedule, baskets 2 cents 

 per week, 5 cents per month ; bushels 5 

 cents per week, 10 cents per month ; cases 

 of eggs, oranges or lemons, or barrels of 

 apples, 10 cents per month, three months 25 

 cents, and other commodities in proportion. 

 In some cases a regular rental for a room or 

 a portion of a room is arranged for. 2. A 

 small shipping charge is made against all 

 fruit shipped throngh the company, which 

 undertakes to attend to all the details of 

 procuring cars and forwarding the consign- 

 ments, as wel^ as furnishing ice (from their 

 own icehouse) for such refrigerator cars as 

 may be required during the season. 



This system has given great satisfaction 

 to the growers and shippers of the district 

 and it is expected to assume large pro- 

 portions in the near future. In 1900 about 

 200 carloads of fruit were sent out ; owing 

 to the fruit failure last season the output 

 was only about 100 carloads. 



So far the company has been carefully 

 making its vay and has been studying the 

 problem of handling and storing perishable 

 products in the most satisfactory manner 

 and the results are most encouraging. 



The enterprise of the gentlemen who have 

 taken hold of this industry in such a practi- 

 cal way is deserving of the success which 

 seems assured. 



The president and secretary-treasurer of 

 the company are Messrs. W. H. Bunting 

 and Albert Pay, of St. Catharines. 



The fruit-growers of Clinton are forming 

 a company for the shipment of fruit in this 

 way, and no doubt such companies will be 

 formed in many parts of Ontario. 



