32 FRUIT IN COLD STORAGE. 



bushels, after the sweating process has been gone through with; 

 placing the boxes or barrels in a shed on the north side of another 

 building that can be opened at night tiud closed during the day ; 

 or into a cool, airy cellar that can be opened and closed in the 

 same way. If packed in barrels, only one tier can well be 

 arranged in the room, except by putting rails or narrow boards 

 across the tops of the first tier of barrels, but in boxes they may 

 be arranged as in Fig. 29, in several tiers, so that circulation of 

 air may be obtained over the fruit. In a dry place the barrel has 



Fig. 29. 



the advantage that the fruit is not exposed as much to the air; 

 but in a moist place, unless the temperature is kept very low, the 

 fruit will decay much more rapidly than if in boxes. 



By closing the building or cellar during the day time, and open- 

 ing upon cool nights, the fruit room may be kept much below the 

 average outside temperature. If the fruit begins to decay, it 

 should be attended to at once and be carefully assorted, as a 

 single decaying specimen very soon spreads decay to the others. 



COLD STORAGE. To preserve any fruit much beyond its natural 

 time of ripening requires special appliances. Cold storage houses 

 are now much used by shippers and fruit dealers. A very simple 

 and serviceable cold storage house may be constructed at a small 

 expense in the following manner: Select a place where the soil is 

 light and dry, and where natural surface drainage will carry the 

 water from the roof readily in all directions; and upon a brick or 

 stone foundation erect a building just like a common ice house, 

 with walls two feet thick. Between the boards upon the walls 

 fill in with spent tan, sawdust or machine shavings, and cover the 

 floor overhead with one or two feet of the same material. Double 

 doors should be provided at each end, and also ventilators at the 

 top, with double covers. The fruit room may be a lean-to against 

 the wall of some other building, thus saving the construction of 

 one wall. The temperature is kept low by opening during cool 

 nights and closing during the day; or, if very low temperature is 

 required, ice must be introduced upon the floor above. In that 

 case, the floor must be made water-tight, and means provided for 

 carrying off the water from the melting ice. During the winter 

 no heat will be required except in very severe weather, when the 

 introduction of a small stove, with a tile chimney passing through 

 one of the ventilators, may be necessary. Thermometers must be 

 kept at all times, both inside and out, for constant consultation. 



In all the operations of gathering, packing, sorting, keeping 

 and marketing of fruit, success must depend upon the vigilance 

 and good judgment of the owner. A single hour in severe weather, 

 or a day or two with too high temperature, will often ruin the 

 entire product of a year's labor. 



