An Apple Storage House. I9t 
Slight thinning cut, if the tiee becomes too brushy, seems to be 
the best treatment in some of the hot valleys. 
Thinning the Fruit—QOne of the most important items in 
the handling of an apple orchard is the faithtul thinning out 
of the fruit of all varieties which are prone to overbear. Al- 
though this work is tedious and expensive, it is profitable, because 
of the improved price which can be had for the larger fruit 
which will be secured, and it is desirable in the effects of thin- 
ning on the tree. It will be relieved from the exhaustion of 
overbearing, induced to yield annual crops, and often saved from 
breaking down with a too heavy burden. 
GATHERING AND STORING APPLES, 
The disposition in this State, as elsewherc, is to allow the 
fruit to hang too long upon the tree before gathering. It was 
long ago demonstrated that an apple for long-keeping must be 
picked early. As late fall weather in Cali‘ornia is so delightful, 
there is more temptation to delay the picking than where the 
approach of winter admonishes the grower to get his fruit under 
cover. Picking apples for shipment should be done just when 
the seeds begin to blacken and when the fruit yields to pressure. 
If left on until fully ripe, and the seeds all black, the fruit will 
not keep. This rule applies to fall apples for shipment to distant 
markets, or for apples to be stored at home. 
Nearly all the ways of keeping winter apples have been 
tried in California. It has been found by experience that apples 
keep perfectly until late in the spring by piling under the trees 
and covering with leaves, ctc., allowing the rains to fall upon 
them. When dry north winds blow, the fruit should be sprinkled 
occasionally. They come out from the cover fresh, smooth, and 
plump, and for family use such rough storage will often answer 
a good purpose. For commercial storage, however, good fruit- 
houses are used. The requisites of such houses are an evenly 
cool temperature, moist air, and gcod ventilation, the fruit being 
open to free access of the air. 
Mr. Edward Berwick, of Monterey, a leading apple grower 
of the coast region, handles his fruit in this way :— 
The apples are carefully hand-picked into baskets and at once trans- 
ferred to ordinary apple boxes—just put in loose, not packed tight as for 
shipping. These boxes are hauled to the fruit house with as little jar as 
ossible. 
e This fruit house is built of rough boards (fastened on a heavy frame) 
with inch-thick battens covering the cracks, and rustic-nailed outside the . 
battens, thus leaving an inch air-space between the boards and the rustic. 
It is of two stories—the upper devoted to tools and stores, the lower used 
for fruit, and arranged with shelves accordingly. This lower story has only 
an earthen floor. One object of this is to give.no lodgment for rats or mice, 
the other is to serve as a means of maintaining a cool, damp atmosphere. 
