414 The Principles of Fruit-growing 



of it is foreign to the purpose of this book. If the grower 

 desires to keep his produce until late winter or spring, and 

 has no cellars or natural storage place, it will ordinarily 

 pay him best to put it into some commercial cold-storage 

 house, and to pay a package rate for the storing of it. 



For temporary storage, however, these remarks will 

 not apply. Every person who grows fruits, especially 

 perishable kinds, should have some kind of building in 

 which he may place the fruits over night, or for two or 

 three days, when waiting for the market to im- 

 prove, or for the purpose of cooling them down 

 before shipment. These houses are ordinarily 

 cooled merely by cold air. They are often 

 known as "chill rooms." A room well fitted for 

 the keeping of butter in warm weather may 

 also be used to advantage for fruit. In some 

 cases, arrangements can be made for the 

 barrel-press. uge Q f i ce ^ re d uce fa e temperature for 



the time being. If one has a considerable quantity of 

 fruit, and has a large cellar that is well adapted to the 

 keeping of apples, he can often store his crop to advantage 

 when the autumn price is low; but the grower must bear 

 in mind that the risks in the storing of fruit are great. 

 The markets may not improve, or the fruit may not 

 keep well. Even when the fruit does keep well, there 

 is frequently a large shrinkage, and the expense of re-pack- 

 ing and handling is a large item. The fruit designed to be 

 kept for the late winter or spring trade should be care- 

 fully sorted when it is put in storage, and especial care 

 should be taken that none of it is over-ripe. Fruit in proper 

 condition for storing when it is picked may be ruined for 

 long-keeping quality by allowing it to lie in the sun or in a 

 warm place for a day or two. 



