6 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 305 



agencies. With these changes there is also some evidence of change in credit 

 arrangements. 



Shipping Massachusetts Apples. (A. H. Lindse\ and A. A. Brown.) The 

 report of this project is contained in Bulletin 299. Its publication proved very 

 timely, for prices in the Boston market this year are much lower than prices in 

 other large eastern markets, and consequently producers have found it profitable 

 to ship to markets suggested in the bulletin. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING 



C. I. Gunness in Charge 



Investigation of Apple Storages. (C. I. Gunness.) The stud\- of the effect of 

 humidity on evaporation from apples in cold storage has been continued, and 

 results to date indicate that the humidity should not be allowed to fall below- 

 80 per cent in order to prevent shriveling. The work on holding the apples 

 at a temperature higher than 32° for the earh- part of the season has been con- 

 tinued, and results are reported b\- the Department of Pomology. No appreciable 

 difference in humidity has been obtained from the use of wet and dry blowers 

 in the one storage where both t\pes are used under similar conditions. 



Apple Handling Equipment. (C. I. Gunness.) A pivot tray type of elevator 

 has been developed for handling apple boxes, and plans prepared for distribution. 

 This type of elevator has proved very satisfactory-, and particularly economical 

 in floor space as compared with escalators. 



A washer for the removal of spray residue on apples has just been completed 

 for experimental work to be carried on in the Department of Pomology. The 

 outstanding feature of this washer is that the acid tank is placed near the floor 

 with the washing tank above it. Apples are moved by a spray from a circulating 

 pump, and the apples are raised from the acid bath, taken through the wash bath, 

 and delivered to the grader by means of a tray elevator. 



Fertilizer Distributors. (C. I. Gunness.) The fertilizer attachment which 

 was developed last year for a tobacco transplanter was further improved during 

 the past season, particularh by providing stirring equipment in the hopper to 

 prevent arching. The results obtained through the use of this attachment are 

 reported b}' the Department of Agronomy. 



Milk Cooling Equipment. (C. I. Gunness.) During the past year a device 

 w^as developed for pre-cooling milk in 20- or 40- quart cans during the time of 

 milking by directing a spray of water on to the outside of the can. It was found 

 that milk can be pre-cooled to 70° with a reasonable amount of water with cooling 

 water at 55° or less. 



In order to overcome the difficulty- of low water in milk cooling tanks where 

 part of the milk is cooled in the evening and i)arl in the morning, an arrangement 

 was developed whereby a circulating pump forced a spray of water directly on 

 to the neck of the can where the water did not come up to the level of the milk 

 in the can. With this arrangement it was found that milk could be cooled from 

 90° to 50"^ in 45 minutes. 



