338 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



other rooms in the Yakima district, both 

 built above the ground, the air enters 

 through openings in the foundation walls, 

 and up through a floor built similar to 

 the one in the plant just mentioned. C. 

 I. Lewis suggests that in buildings of 

 this latter type, if the room is large, 

 some of the air should be made to enter 

 through chutes under the floor and reach- 

 ing to the center of the room, in order to 

 insure a more even distribution of air 

 throughout. Some persons believe that an 

 insulated floor should be laid underneath 

 the ventilating floor; but the bare earth 

 underneath, if it is kept moist, helps to 

 retard loss of moisture from the apples. 

 In order to secure the necessary draught 

 of air through the "cool" storage rooms 

 they are further provided with ventila- 

 tors in the roof; and where they seem 

 to be most thoughtfully constructed and 

 where electric power is available, fans 

 are installed in the ventilators to in- 

 crease the draught by suction. Of course 

 the air intakes of the "cool" storage 

 room are furnished with cutoffs, which 

 are closed during the daytime and opened 

 at night. 



It is stated that in well constructed 

 rooms, where also electric fans are used 

 in the cupolas, the day temperature can 

 be kept to within two degrees of the out- 

 side night temperature. Hence the prac- 

 ticability of the system will be deter- 

 mined largely by the known night tem- 



peratures at the time the rooms are de- 

 sired to be used. "Cool" storage has 

 proved especially efficient for storing ap- 

 ples which mature late in the season, and 

 it may be more or less of benefit in hand- 

 ling any fruit during warmer weather. 

 For the latter purpose, however, it is not 

 a substitute for cold storage or pre-cool- 

 ing. "Cool" storage is especially adapt- 

 ed for use in arid sections or those of 

 high altitude, where night temperatures 

 run characteristically low. Of course it 

 is a success during injurious winter 

 temperatures, when the air intakes are 

 kept entirely closed and the insulation 

 protects from outside cold. 



Sanitation 



A point in the care of the packing and 

 storage house, the value of which is fre- 

 quently unappreciated, is cleanliness. Qn 

 this point we quote Prof. C. I. Lewis of 

 the Oregon Agricultural College: "There 

 is one point that I would wish to empha- 

 size in handling a packing house, and 

 that is keeping it clean. Some growers 

 allow more or less decayed apples and 

 pears to remain in the packing house 

 months after the crop is handled. As 

 soon as the season is over the house 

 should be thoroughly cleaned. Where 

 decayed fruit has been handled in any 

 way. that portion of the packing house 

 should be washed and fumigated. By 

 writing to the United States Department 

 of Agriculture, bulletins can be obtained 



Fig. 10. 



A Warehouse and Packing House of tbe Rogue River Fruit and Produce Association, 

 Medtord, Ore. Note tlie excellent provision for light and ventilation. 



