CHAPTER IV. 



VENTILATION. 



value of T N discussing- humidity and circulation, it has been 



ventilation. J 



1 explained how a large portion of the gases of de- 

 composition and impurities of various kinds, which 

 are incident to the presence of perishable products in 

 cold storage, are carried by the moisture existing- in 

 the air, and that when this moisture is frozen on the 

 cooling pipes, or absorbed by chemicals, the foul mat- 

 ter is largely rendered harmless. It may now be 

 noted further that even with a good circulation and 

 ample moisture absorbing capacity, there will still 

 be some impurities and gases, detrimental to the wel- 

 fare of the stored goods, which have little or no affin- 

 ity for the water vapor in the air, and consequently 

 accummulate in the storage room. Ventilation is 

 necessary to rid a refrigerator room of these perma- 

 nent gases. The introduction of a large volume of 

 fresh air is not essential, however, for the purpose of 

 purifying rooms in which eggs are stored, because 

 the accumulation of permanent gases in an egg room 

 is quite slow, comparatively (as in rooms where well 

 ripened fruit is stored); but a small supply of fresh 

 air continuously, or at regular intervals, is of much 

 benefit. 

 Ventilation by This subject of ventilation for refrigerator rooms 



has been very much talked about recently, but about 

 which really little is known, so far as any tangible in- 

 formation is concerned. Some of the more progress- 

 ive cold storage managers have given some attention 

 to this part of the business, but many of the largest 

 and best known houses do not ventilate their rooms at 

 all, except perhaps during the winter or spring, when 

 rooms are aired out for the purpose of whitewashing. 

 In some cases the change of air incident to opening 

 and closing of doors, when goods are placed in stor- 

 age or removed therefrom, is relied on to supply ven- 



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