STORAGE 



3257 



which may be held longest. A short period of stor- 

 age may be relatively as important for the short- 

 season fruits, such as the perishable berries. The 

 ability to hold these fruits even for a few days may 

 result in a great profit due to 

 changes in market conditions. 

 The holding of short-period 

 fruits for a brief time is im- 

 portant for canneries because 

 the fruit may be held in its 

 best condition and this may 

 result in a great saving to the 

 canneries or factories when 

 sufficient help cannot be ob- 

 tained. 



Storage is most important 

 for the apple. This fruit has 

 the longest storage period of 

 all. There are cases in which 

 apples have been held in fair 

 condition for as long as two 

 years. It is, of course, not 

 profitable or desirable to 

 hold apples as long as this. 

 The most important season is 

 during the winter and spring 

 months and until the fresh 

 fruits come into the markets. 

 As indicated above, the cold 

 storage of the apple has re- 

 sulted in making it an all- 

 the^year-round fruit. Many 

 varieties are held from one 

 season until the summer apples of the next season are 

 available. .The so-called winter varieties are held to 

 the best advantage. 



There are three classes of apples: summer, fall, and 

 winter. The summer varieties have the shortest stor- 

 age season. The fall apples have a longer season but 

 not so long as the winter varieties. It is upon the last 

 class that dependence is placed for late-season supplies. 

 The following fall varieties are the ones chiefly used 

 for storage and, as a general rule, these may be held 

 in first-class condition until the Christmas holidays or 

 until the middle of January: Mclntosh, Fameuse, 

 Yellow Bellflower, Jonathan, Grimes. The following 

 winter varieties are the ones of most importance for 

 storage purposes: Baldwin, Ben Davis, Winesap, 

 Yellow Newtown, Gano, Rome Beauty, Esopus, Nor- 

 thern Spy. Stayman Winesap, Banana, Ortley, Deli- 

 cious. Lawver. Rhode Island Greening, Northwestern 

 Greening, and York ImperiaJL 



The varieties of pears which may ordinarily be used 

 for storage are: Bosc, Easter, Anjou, Clairgeau, 

 Cornice. Howell, Winter Nelis, Duchess, Sheldon, and 

 Kieffer. 



3709. Diagram of brick, 

 stone or concrete wall, with 

 insolation of mill shavings. 

 1, 8-incb wall; 2, asphalt; 3, 

 1-inch air space; 4, "i-inch 

 T and G sheathing; 5, Vg- 

 inch T and G sheathing; 6, 

 6-inch dry mill shavings; 7, 

 ~ ,-inch T and G sheathing; 

 8, ' .-inch T and G sheath- 

 ing. Waterproof paper be- 

 tween adjoining sheathings. 



3710. Diagram of railing with commercial insulation. /, T and 

 G sheathing; 2, paper and asphalt; 3, 4-inch commercial insula- 

 tion; 4, paper and asphalt; S, cement or T and G finish. 



Factors underlying successful storage. 



By means of investigations of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, the factors which govern 

 the successful storage of fresh fruits have been carefully 

 determined. The investigations have been extended 

 through a number of years, since the work of Powell 

 with apples in 1901-1902. There has been more work 

 with apples than with other fruits but studies of the 

 storage of grapes, peaches, pears, plums, cherries, and 



small-fruits have also been made. It is beyond the 

 scope of this article to give in detail the results of 

 researches with all of these fruits. In general, it has 

 been found that there is a very definite relationship 

 between the character of the fruit and the treatment 

 given it in preparing it for storage, and its behavior 

 in storage. The results from extensive experimental 

 storage holdings have been consistent throughout; 

 there have been no exceptions to the general principle 

 of this definite relationship. It has been found, for 

 example, that the influence of the place of production 

 is frequently of great importance. The place and con- 

 dition under which the fruit may be grown have a 



3711. Diagram of floor insulation on concrete, wood finish. 1, 

 flooring; 2, asphalt; 3, 4-inch commercial insulation; 4, asphalt; 

 5, concrete; 6, floor sleeper. 



3712. Diagram of floor insulation on concrete, cement finish. 

 1, concrete and cement floor; 2, asphalt; 3, 4-inch commercial 

 insulation; 4, asphalt; 5, concrete. 



1-^w 2-\ ?-\ 4-7 ^ 67 



3713. Diagram of floor insulation, frame construction. 1, floor; 

 2, asphalt and paper; 3, 4- inch commercial insulation; 4, asphalt 

 and paper; S, floor sheathing; 6, floor sleeper. 



material influence on its behavior in storage. This is 

 contrary to prevailing impressions but it is definitely 

 certain. The character of the soil upon which the fruit 

 is grown may have an important bearing on its stor- 

 age quality. For example, apples from the lighter 

 loam soils have better keeping quality than fruit grown 

 on heavy or wet soils. In the study of the storage of 

 grapes, it was found that the fruit grown in certain 

 types of soils have better market and storage qualities. 

 Some Tokay grapes, grown in California in light sandy 

 soil, reach the limit of their market condition in Novem- 

 ber, while grapes of the same variety grown in heavy 

 black soil may be kept in good condition until after 

 Christmas. The Emperor grape, which has become an 

 important storage fruit in California, is produced under 

 best conditions in the red soils of the higher benches 

 of the foothills of the Sierras. The same variety grown 

 under valley conditions where the soil is of a different 

 character, does not color so well and does not have as 

 good storage qualities. The same is true of the Almeria 

 grape, which is likely to become a very important stor- 

 age fruit in California. At present the supplies of this 

 grape come almost exclusively from Spain. The grapes 

 are packed in granulated cork and the Spanish product 

 is frequently held for several months in common stor- 



