58 HAIl\^STING, STORING, AND MARKETING 



to be of major importance. The air must change rapidly if the 

 fruit is to keep well. For this reason as well as because they 

 are convenient to handle, and rigid enough to protect the 

 fruit, slat crates and lug boxes have been found to be very 

 satisfactory containers. 



The reason that artificial cold storages are operated suc- 

 cessfully without ventilation is that the temperature is re- 

 duced so low that life activities in the fruit are practically at 

 a standstill. 



The humidity, or the moisture content of the air, should 

 be high to prevent wilting and shrinking. It should range 

 from 85 to 95 percent. It can be determined by means of the 

 hygrometer. Earth floors, or concrete floors sprinkled with 

 water, aid materially in maintaining proper humidity. 



The uniformity of the temperature seems more important 

 in common storage than the exact thermometer reading. With 

 good ventilation and the proper humidity, a common storage 

 temperature between 40*^ and 50° F., provided the tempera- 

 ture does not fluctuate violently, has been found to keep 

 apples in good condition for comparatively long periods. 



(e) Determining the Type of Common Storage to Build. 

 The storage may be above or below ground. The type in most 

 common use thus far has been the cellar or below-ground 

 storage. The assumption has been that temperature was the 

 main factor to control and that the danger of freezing would 

 be slight in a cellar storage. It is now recognized that venti- 

 lation is of great importance in the common storage where 

 the temperature is not low enough to check life processes of 

 the fruit. It can probably be provided more satisfactorily 

 and in a more dependable form in the above-ground storage. 

 By proper insulation the storage above ground may be pro- 

 tected from freezing. Construction costs do not differ mate- 

 rially between the two types, running usually from 40 to 75 

 cents per bushel, depending upon the capacity, building ma- 

 terials, and labor costs. Barns and various farm buildings 

 may often be converted into satisfactory storage plants. 



