Circular No. 278 



September 1933 • Washington, D. G 



Revised November 1941 • Slightly revised July 1949 



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, associate horticulturist, Division of Fruit and Vegetable Crops and 

 Diseases, Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering, 

 Agricultural Research Administration 1 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 



Factors involved in cold storage. 

 Temperature of storage rooms _ 



Humidity of storage rooms 



Evolution of heat by com- 

 modity 



Effect of cold storage on subse- 

 quent behavior of fruits and 



vegetables 



Sweating 



Waxing 



Choice of storage conditions 



Fruits and nuts 



Apples 



Apricots 



Avocados 



Bananas 



Blackberries 



Cherries 



Coconuts 



Cranberries 



Dates ' 



Dewberries 



Page 

 2 

 3 

 3 

 5 



12 

 13 

 13 

 13 

 14 

 14 

 17 

 17 

 18 

 19 

 19 

 19 

 19 

 20 

 21 



Fruits and nuts — Continued 



Figs (fresh) 



Grapefruit 



Grapes 



Lemons 



Limes 



Logan blackberries 



Olives (fresh) 



Oranges 



Peaches 



Pears 



Pineapples 



Plums (including prunes) 



Quinces 



Raspberries 



Strawberries 



Dried fruits 



Frozen fruits and vegetables. 

 Nuts 



Vegetables 



Asparagus 



Beans 



Beets 



Page 

 21 

 21 

 22 

 23 

 24 

 24 

 24 

 24 

 25 

 25 

 27 

 27 

 28 

 28 

 28 

 28 

 29 

 29 

 30 

 31 

 32 

 32 



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 also have drawn freely on published and unpublished results of other staff 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 Acknowledgment for unpublished information 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 present 

 or former 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 ; Morris Lieberman, 

 lima beans, cabbage, celery, and cucumbers ; M. H. Haller, spinach ; E. B. Lambert, 

 mushrooms. Acknowledgment is also due J. N. Kelley, Fruit Dispatch Co., for 

 information on 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. 



829965—49 1 1 



