12 



CIRCULAR 2 7 8, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Table 3. — Recommended temperature, relative humidity, and approximate length 

 of storage period for the commercial storage of fresh, dried, and frozen fruits, 

 and nuts, and the average freezing points 



Commodity 



Tempera- 

 ture 



Relative 

 humidity 



Approximate length of storage 

 period 



Average 

 freezing 

 point i 





°F. 



2 30 to 32 



31 to 32 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



31 to 32 



31 to 32 



32 to 35 

 36 to 40 



28 to 32 

 31 to 32 



( 2 ) 



30 to 31 



31 to 32 

 55 to 58 

 45 to 48 

 31 to 32 

 45 to 50 



( 2 ) 

 31 to 32 



29 to 30 



30 to 31 



50 to 60 

 40 to 45 



31 to 32 

 31 to 32 

 31 to 32 

 31 to 32 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 



2 32 to 50 



Percent 

 85 to 88 

 80 to 85 

 85 to 90 



( 2 ) 

 80 to 85 

 80 to 85 

 80 to 85 

 85 to 90 



( 2 ) 

 80 to 85 

 85 to 90 



85 to 90 

 80 to 85 

 85 to 90 

 85 to 90 

 80 to 85 

 85 to 90 

 85 to 90 

 80 to 85 



85 to 90 

 85 to 90 



85 to 90 

 85 to 90 

 80 to 85 

 80 to 85 

 80 to 85 

 80 to 85 



( 2 ) 



( 2 ) 

 65 to 75 



(2) 



28 4 



Apricots-.. 



1 to 2 weeks 



28 1 



Avocados 



(2) 



27 2 



Bananas 



(2) 



( 3 ) 

 28. 9 



Blackberries - 



7 to 10 days 



Cherries-. . 



10 to 14 days. 



25.5 



Coconuts.. .. ... 



1 to 2 months 





1 to 3 months 



27 3 





(2) 



—4 1 



Dewberries . . 



7 to 10 days 





Grapefruit.. 



6 to 8 weeks 



28 4 



Grapes: 



3 to 6 months 



24 9 



American 



3 to 8 weeks . 



27.5 





1 to 4 months . 



28 1 





6 to 8 weeks 



29 3 





7 to 10 days _ . 



29 5 





4 to 6 weeks 



28 5 





8 to 10 weeks 



( 5 ) 

 29.4 



Peaches 



2 to 4 weeks 



Pears: 



Bartlett 



C 2 )... 



28.5 





(*) 



( fl ) 

 29.1 



Pineapples: 



3 to 4 weeks ... . 



Ripe ... . . -. 



2 to 4 weeks ... 



29.9 





3 to 8 weeks » 



28.0 



Quinces.. — 



2 to 3 months.. ... 



28.1 



7 to 10 days 



29.9 





.... do 



29 9 





9 to 12 months . 







6 to 12 months.. . 





Nuts 



8 to 12 months . 



( 7 ) 







i These figures are based on previously published work by Wright (101) and are subject to revision when- 

 ever further investigation makes this necessary. 



2 See text. 



3 Green: Flesh, 30.2°; peel, 29.8°. Ripe: Flesh, 26.0°; peel, 29.4°. 

 * Eastern sour, 28.0°; eastern sweet, 24.7°; California sweet, 24.2°. 

 5 Flesh, 28.0°; peel, 27.4°. 



8 Winter Nelis, 27.2°; Anjou, 26.9°. 



7 Persian (English) walnuts, 20.0°; pecans, 19.6°; and chestnuts (Italian), 23.8°. 



Apples 



(Temperature, 30° to 32° F. ; relative humidity, 85 to 88 percent) 



There is a wide variation in the storage quality of the different 

 varieties of apples, and of the same variety grown in different re- 

 gions. For example, Mcintosh grown in the Middle Atlantic States 

 is practically an early fall apple not suitable for more than 2 or 3 

 weeks' storage, whereas if grown in northern New York or New Eng- 

 land it can be held for as long as 4 or 5 months. Such varieties as 

 Northern Spy, Baldwin, and Rhode Island Greening grown in the 

 Cumberland-Shenandoah Valley district or in the hot, irrigated valleys 

 of the Pacific Northwest behave like fall varieties and are short-lived 

 in storage, although suitable for winter storage when grown in New 

 England, New York, Michigan, and other northern producing 

 districts. 



The keeping quality of apples in storage is also definitely related 

 to the cultural and orchard sanitation practices of the grower, who 

 alone is responsible for the production of sound, properly matured 

 fruit. To have good keeping quality, apples should be mature and 

 well colored. When they have reached this stage, they are less likely 

 to scald in storage and are in better condition generally to be held in 



