272 HORTICULTURE FOR SCHOOLS 



does not keep long after withdrawal. It is, therefore, desir- 

 able to sell or dispose of it in other ways as soon as possible. 



387. Care of storage-rooms. It is essential that storage- 

 rooms be kept clean and dry. Strong odors are readily ab- 

 sorbed by materials in storage and, therefore, fish, onions, 

 citrus fruits, eggs, celery, and similar products should not be 

 kept promiscuously in the same room. Fluctuations of tem- 

 perature are exceedingly injurious and should be avoided. 

 Cold storage companies have a regulation that rooms cannot 

 be opened except at stated 'intervals. Cold storage plants 

 must be so constructed that they are well insulated against 

 the entrance of heat and must be provided with adequate 

 facilities for reducing the temperature to the point desired. 

 If the thermometer drops too low, the commodity in storage 

 will be injured perhaps even more seriously than if the tem- 

 perature is too high. Theoretically, this temperature should 

 be as near the freezing point of the product as possible with- 

 out actually freezing. The standard cold storage temperature 

 for fruits is 32 degrees F., but there are some exceptions. 

 For example, citrus fruits are stored at a temperature from 

 50 to 55 or even as high as 60 degrees, and some varieties of 

 apples are best kept at 35 degrees. In transportation it 

 would be desirable, if possible, to have the same temperature, 

 but it is impracticable to hold cars so low on account of the 

 expense involved. The average temperature of the refrig- 

 erator-car is not far from 40 degrees. 



It might be supposed that a temperature of 32 degrees, 

 which is the freezing point of water, would injure all fruit. 

 This is not the case, for fruit juices contain various substances 

 in solution which have the effect of lowering their freezing 

 point. A solution of water and sugar will freeze, not at 32 

 degrees, but at a temperature several degrees lower. The 

 same is true of fruit juices. 



388. Advantage of storage. The storage of fruits is of 

 advantage in several ways. It takes care of a surplus which 



