Circular No. 278 



September 1933 



Revised November 1941 



Washington, D. C. 



Slightly revised December 1942 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, 

 and Florists' Stocks 



By Dean H. Rose, senior physiologist, R. C. Wright, physiologist, and T. M. 

 Whiteman, assistant horticulturist, Division of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and 

 Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry, Agricultural Research Administration 1 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 



Factors involved in cold storage 



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Vegetables— Co ntin ued . 



Broccoli (Italian or sprouting) 



Brussels sprouts.. . 



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Temperature of storage rooms 



Humidity of storage rooms 



Evolution of heat by commodity. 



Cabbage. 



Carrots 



Cauliflower.. 



29 



30 

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Effect of cold storage on subsequent behavior 

 of fruits and vegetables 



Celeriac..- 



Celery 



Corn (green) _ 



31 

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Sweating ._ 



32 



Waxing 



Cucumbers. 



Eggplants 



Endive or escarole 



Garlic (dry) 



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Fruits and nuts .. _.- 



33 



Apples 



33 



Apricots 



Avocados 



Horseradish 



Jerusalem-artichoke 



33 

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Bananas 



Blackberries- 



Kohlrabi 



Leeks (green) _ 



33 



34 



Cherries 



Coconuts 



Cranberries 



Lettuce 



Melons— 



Mushrooms (cultivated) 



34 

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Dates 



Onions and onion sets. 



35 



Dewberries 



Grapefruit. 



Parsnips 



Peas (green) 



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Grapes 



Lemons 



Limes 



Peppers 



Potatoes.- - 



Pumpkins and squashes 



37 

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38 



Logan blackberries 



Radishes (winter) 



39 



Olives (fresh) 



Rhubarb... 



Rutabagas. 



Salsify 



Spinach ._ 



Squashes 



Sweetpotatoes. 



Tomatoes -- 



Turnips 



Frozen vegetables 



Cut flowers, florists' greens, rhizomes, tubers, 



39 



Oranges 



Peaches.. 



Pears 



Pineapples.. 



Plums (including prunes) . 



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Quinces 



Raspberries 



Strawberries - 



Dried fruits . 



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41 







42 



Vegetables 



Asparagus 



Florists' greens 



Rhizomes, tubers, and corms.. 



Bulbs 



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Beets 





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1 The writers not only have included results of their own investigations but also have 

 drawn freely on published and unpublished results of other staff members, whose assistance 

 and cooperation have done much to make possible this publication in its present form. 

 Acknowledgment for unpublished information furnished on refrigeration or commodities 

 indicated is due the following members of this Division : W. R. Barger, dates and dried 

 fruits ; C. O. Bratley, limes and pineapples : Fisk Gerhardt, A. L. Ryall, and W. H. English, 

 pears ; C. W. Mann, lemons ; W. T. Pentzer, refrigeration, garlic, olives, pears, and peppers ; 

 Edwin Smith, refrigeration, apricots and pears. Acknowledgment is also due E. B. Lambert, 

 Division of Mycology and Disease Survey, mushrooms ; and J. N. Kelley, Fruit Dispatch 

 Co., bananas. Special acknowledgment is made to D. F. Fisher, of this Division, for 

 valuable suggestions and criticisms throughout the preparation of this and earlier editions 

 of the circular. 



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