STORING 



65 



ture stage. On the other hand, there is danger in some re- 

 gions with long picking seasons of leaving the fruit until it is 

 too soft. Store only good grades of standard varieties, and 

 do not seek to hold them beyond their natural storage season. 



Store immediately after picking. Every day that fruit 

 remains out of storage after it is picked cuts down the length 

 of the time that it can be held in storage. A temperature 

 approaching 30^ F. has been found most desirable for apples 



{Mich, fitate CoUeffe)" 



Fig. ZiA. This air-cooled Michigan storage, 36 by 50 feet and 13 feet 

 from floor to ceiling, accommodates 8;500 bushels. In the outlet flues are 

 motor-driven fans which can change the air completely seventeen times 

 in an hour. The storage has a gravel floor. 



in cold storage. Excellent results have been secured in com- 

 mon storage at 40"^ to 45^ F., the important thing, in addition 

 to ventilation, being to prevent too wide and rapid fluctuation. 

 Apples will withstand temperatures below 32° F. for short 

 periods without damage and are sometimes subjected to 

 lower temperatures before picking in late fall. If frosted, 

 fruit should not be disturbed and the temperature should rise 

 very slowly. Apples frosted on trees in the fall often escape 

 injury if the weather is cloudy as the temperature rises. 



