392 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



satisfactory. Boxes should be used, however, only for 

 strictly first-class fruit, and more especially for the early 

 and soft-fleshed varieties. There is probably less margin 

 of profit in handling standard winter fruit like Baldwin in 

 the smaller package. 



Many kinds of boxes have been used and recommended. 

 The bushel box is probably the best, under the present 

 market conditions. These boxes are made up in a variety 

 of styles. The one which seems to be the most attractive, 

 and the one which we prefer, measures 10 by 11 by 20 

 inches inside. This gives a trifle over the standard bushel, 

 and weighs about fifty pounds filled. The ends are seven- 

 eighths-inch stufli", and the top, bottom and sides are one- 

 fourth-inch stuft'. These cost about $15 a hundred. 



In shipping fancy apples in boxes, we have found it de- 

 sirable to wrap the fruit in papers. Any clean white paper 

 will answer, but specially made tissue paper furnished by 

 dealers for fruit Avrapping is the most satisfactory. The 

 papers are cut 10 by 10 inches square. 



Cold Storage. 



The cold-storage business for apples has been rapidly 

 developed in the last five years ; it has also been greatly 

 improved. The largest bulk of winter fruit now finds its 

 way into the large city storage houses, from which it is 

 marketed as wanted. Many of these storage companies 

 accept apples for storage direct from the growers. The 

 prices charged for storage are from 30 to 50 cents a barrel 

 for the season ; this allows the fruit to be taken out at any 

 time up to May 1. 



The keeping of fruit in what is called common storage 

 has been considerably diminished on account of the im- 

 proved cold-storage facilities. Quantities are still stored 

 at home, however, in cellars or in houses constructed es- 

 pecially for the purpose. Such houses or fruit rooms are 

 usually cooled in some way, usually by control of the ven- 

 tilation. Well-built fruit houses of this type have proved 

 very successful in the past ; their value is proportionately 

 less, however, as the city cold storage becomes cheaper and 

 more efficient. 



