FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
35 
ing sections of both States. But even 
more convincing and encouraging is the 
fact that packing houses in Florida, as 
well as in California, have been able to 
handle oranges carefully on a commer¬ 
cial scale, so that no matter what the 
weather or other conditions rpay be, 
their packs will arrive on the market 
sound. 
GRAPEFRUIT STORAGE. 
The grapefruit storage investigations 
which were begun this season include a 
study of the keeping quality of fruit 
picked at different stages of maturity, of 
the conditions best adapted to the long 
storage of grapefruit, and of the changes 
which occur in the fruit itself during the 
storage period. For the purpose of se¬ 
curing a uniform grade of fruit for the 
experiments, a block of trees, as nearly 
as possible representative of the average 
grapefruit groves in each section, was 
selected at both Winter Park and Co- 
coanut Grove. The fruit for storage was 
picked once a month from these trees. 
In both places insulated storage rooms 
were constructed and equipped with ven¬ 
tilators, which were opened at night and 
closed .early in the morning. Part of 
the fruit is stored in these rooms, and 
part in storage tents such as are used in 
California for holding lemons. Hygro- 
thermograph records of the temperature 
and humidity are obtained in the storage 
rooms and tents, and for the outside air. 
The fruit is inspected each month, the 
amount of decay and shrinkage noted, and 
a record made of the color, condition 
(i. e., firmness) and texture of each in¬ 
dividual grapefruit. 
The results of one year’s work can on¬ 
ly be taken as a general indication of 
what it will be possible to accomplish. 
Although the results this season are, on 
the whole, encouraging, the question of 
grapefruit storage is still strictly in the 
experimental stage, and it is impossible 
to say at this time to what extent it will 
be practicable commercially. 
The experiments at Winter Park were 
not begun until February, so a complete 
season’s record is not available for that 
section. At Cocoanut Grove, however, 
the first lot of fruit was picked Novem¬ 
ber 8th, and similar lots were picked in 
December, January, February and March, 
covering practically the entire shipping 
season. I shall confine myself, therefore, 
for the most part to an outline of the 
work conducted at Cocoanut Grove. 
STORAGE CONDITIONS. 
The storage room at Cocoanut Grove 
was built in the basement of the Asso¬ 
ciation packing house. It was construct¬ 
ed with double walls, with a four-inch 
dead air space between them, double 
doors and double ventilating shutters. 
These shutters are opened about 8 o’clock 
at night, and closed at 4 in the morning. 
The storage tent is also in the basement 
of the packing house. 
Table II presents temperature and 
moisture conditions in the storage room 
and outside air for one week, ending De¬ 
cember 29th, 1912. This is typical of 
the records obtained throughout the sea¬ 
son. 
