STOPJNG FRUITS. 



381 



in a measure similar work to the leaves, i.e. 

 they absorb and break up carbon-dioxide from 

 the atmosphere under the influence of sunlight, 

 liberating the oxygen and utilizing the carbon 

 in the building up of tissues or cell-contents. 

 In the case of such fruits as Apples and Pears, 

 where the chief part of the edible portion con- 

 sists of the floral receptacle or enlarged pe- 

 duncle, the leaf -like function is still more 

 marked, and these are undoubtedly materially 

 self -assisting though not self-dependent. As 

 the stage of full development is approached 

 the normal leaf-work is gradually diminished 

 until ultimately a reverse process is commenced, 

 namely, oxygen is used up and carbon-dioxide 

 is liberated. The changes in coloration, the 

 formation of sugars, and the elaboration of the 

 special essences and aromas, are attendant on 

 a process of oxidation, the final result being 

 the perfected fruit. But under favouring con- 

 ditions of temperature and moisture, these 

 changes advance with great rapidity to the 

 destruction of the fruit as an edible product. 

 Fermentation and decomposition are extensions 

 of the process of ripening, and the success of 

 all attempts at storing fruits must depend upon 

 the efficiency by which the changes named can 

 be arrested, or at least retarded. 



What is required in the storing of fruits, 

 therefore, is to provide such conditions that the 

 full development of their characters may be 

 ensured, that these qualities may be preserved 

 as long as desired, and that undue loss of 

 weight or shrivelling be avoided. To keep 

 fruits satisfactorily a distinction should be made 

 between those which are ripe, or which have 

 nearly reached that stage, at the time they are 

 gathered, and those that may need weeks or 

 months of storing before they are matured. 

 Some material differences are needed in the 

 treatment, but too often this fact is either over- 

 looked or disregarded. 



In the case of the ripe fruits, which will 

 mainly consist of early or mid-season varieties of 

 Apples and Pears, with such soft or stone fruits 

 as may be fit for treating in this way, the 

 object must be to arrest as far as possible all 

 further change until they are wanted for use. 

 For the others the conditions should be pro- 

 portioned in some degree to their period of 

 development; this cannot be adhered to ab- 

 solutely, but the treatment of stored fruits 

 might be considerably modified on the lines 

 indicated with advantage. 



The avoidance of loss of weight is difficult 

 to ensure, but when fruit is sold by measure 



or by the bushel, unless it is of stipulated 

 weight, this is not a matter of serious import, 

 unless the loss proceeds to such a length that 

 shrivelling takes place on the exterior, and a 

 sponginess of the internal substance renders 

 the fruit almost worthless. As regards Apples, 

 there is a great difference in the loss of weight 

 of the chief varieties when stored. Under 

 equal circumstances, and for equal periods, we 

 have known this loss to range from 5 to 20 

 per cent. Something will, however, depend 

 upon the size of the fruit, the way it has been 

 grown, and the state it is in at the time of 

 harvesting. Medium-size fruits that have been 

 produced by sturdy trees grown under suitable 

 circumstances fully exposed to sun and air 

 usually keep the best of all. Very large, rapidly- 

 grown fruits of many varieties lose weight in a 

 marked degree. It is somewhat the same with 

 Pears, except in the case of the large sorts of 

 the stewing type, such as Catillac, Bellissime 

 d'Hiver, Verulam, and others, which are of 

 a particularly firm texture and resist the dry- 

 ing effect for a long period. 



One preliminary is essential in the highest 

 degree, and that is, fruit for storing with the 

 best results must be thoroughly sound. Bruised, 

 insect-injured, or fungus-attacked samples will 

 not only fail themselves, but will affect other 



I good fruits with which they might be placed. 



! Wherever the stock is generally defective, it 

 is far better to dispose of it as soon as con- 

 venient after the gathering is completed. It 

 is a waste of time, and may lead to a large 

 money loss, if any attempt is made to store 

 such fruits. Nothing is worse than the scab 

 fungus for thus rendering fruits unsuited for 

 keeping; even when there are no external signs 

 of the disease at the time they are placed in 



i the storage, if they come from an infected 

 source it will probably appear speedily when 

 under cover. 



Besides the influences indicated as opposed 

 to the successful storing of fruits, there is that 

 of careless gathering. The importance of paying 

 attention to this method has been dealt with in 

 other chapters, but it must be urged here that 

 when a large fruit-room has to be filled with 

 produce to be reserved for use over a period of 

 some months, the greatest care in every detail 

 should be exercised. Avoid clasping and pinch- 

 ing the fruits in the hand ; place them in padded 

 shallow baskets, and remove them from these 

 to their final quarters with the same care. 



To summarize the preliminary conditions 

 connected with satisfactory fruit-storage — we 



