May 2, 1904 
at all of which the apple industry is para- 
mount. Our launch took 4,000 cases up. 
Apples intended for shipment to Sydney, 
Brisbane, and Interstate ports have to be 
fumigated. This is done with cyanide in 
the holds of the launches, and the brand 
of the Department of Agriculture is 
-affixed, certifying to the fumigation. The 
boats charge 4d. per case for doing this, 
and 2d. per case is the freight from the 
Huon to Hobart. 
VALUE or Lanp. 
To illustrate the value of the land on 
the Huon, the captain pointed out a piece 
-of 50 acres, having 8 acres of orchard, 
which was offered for £1,500 and with- 
-drawn. Shortly after £2,500 was offered 
and refused for the same property. Near 
‘Geevestown Jetty am estate won by Mr. 
Stafford Bird in the Van Diemen’s Land 
Bank lottery for £1 was pointed out. 
‘This land is now worth £10 to £15 per 
acre unimproved, and these prices obtain 
all along the river and channel. We had 
no lengthened opportunity to inspect the 
-other apple-growing centres, but were in- 
formed that at near Glenora, up the Der- 
went, New Norfolk way, three estates 
would ship 120,000 cases of apples. Other 
land along the coast is being exploited for 
apple-growing. Jones & Company have 
planted 5,000 apple trees on the mainland, 
north of Maria Island, and they are ex- 
“pected to do well there. Young orchards 
are in evidence everywhere, but generally 
in small areas; the cost and time in pre- 
paring the land being a drawback. A 
man with 12 acres in bearing considers 
himself independent, and certainly the 
appearance of the orchardists met with 
gives an outsider such an impression. The 
purser on the steamship Huon said the 
‘sewing machine agent, photo. enlarger, 
and buggy maker were having a good time 
in the district. A well-kept orchard in 
bearing 15 to 20 years old is valued at 
from £120 to £150 per acre, and some- 
times att £1 per tree. A short trip to 
New Norfolk and a later one to Port 
Esperance, calling at the Channel ports, 
fully confirmed our idea of the immense 
present and future capabilities of the 
apple industry and what it is doing for 
‘Tasmania. Apples and “Tattersall” have 
made it one of the best known States. 
During our week’s stay five steamers 
loaded with nearly 120,000 cases, and the 
greatness of this number (and they expect 
to send away half a million cases before 
end of season) can only be realised when 
one stands on the wharf and views the 
sheds piled up 10 ft. high with tiers of 
cases of apples and the ocean tramps along- 
‘side the pier loading them by the score 
into their immense holds—the Medic took 
45,000 cases—while daily, almost hourly, 
10 to 15 steam Jaunches unload from 
Channel and river ports from 1,000 to 
-4,000 cases each, and the trains run in an 
oceasional truck load. 
Sourn Avustratia’s Opportunity. ~ 
What apples have done and are doing 
for Tasmania they can also do for South 
Australia. We have unlimited areas of 
suitable apple land in good rainfall dis- 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER... 
tricts which is only now carrying a few 
sheep and cows. This can be got in the 
cleared state for what it costs in Tasmaniai 
unimproved. We have better facilities 
for handling the produce, if we except 
only the water carriage, and our apples 
are now commanding better prices at 
home than those from any other State, 
owing to better grading and packing. No 
return per acre, not even from currants— 
and these must have specially choice flats 
—can compare at the same cost with that 
from apples off second-class land. Pro- 
vided that the codlin moth can be satis- 
factorily combated, and it has almost been 
demonstrated that spraying will give 90 
per cent. of good fruit, we have a splen- 
did industry only awaiting a little extra 
development, an industry that persons of 
slender means can embark in, with the 
knowledge that any money expended is 
almost sure to bring a competency in 10 
to 15 years’ time. 
THE APPLE IN COLD STORAGE. 
By G. H. Powxtt anv 8. H. Furron. 
Experiments have been conducted for 
two years in different apple-growing sec- 
tions of the country to determine the best 
methods for harvesting and keeping apples 
in cold storage. About 180 varieties of 
apples taken from localities in Kamsas, 
Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, West Vir- 
ginia, North Carolina, Delaware, Maine, 
Massachusetts, and New York have been 
used in the investigation. 
Preceding the detailed results of the ex- 
periments a discussion is given of the in- 
fluence of cold storage on the apple: in- 
dustry, the function of cold storage, prin- 
ciples of mechanical refrigeration, and 
statistics of the extent of the cold-storage 
warehouse industry in this country. The 
specific problems investigated were the 
effect of the degree of maturity at har- 
vesting time on the keeping quality of the 
fruit, the effects of delayed storage, and 
of storing at different temperatures. In 
addition, the influence of different kinds 
of packages, wrapping of fruit, soil, and 
cultural conditions, fruit from young 
rapidly growing trees and from old trees, 
&c., on the keeping qualities of the fruit 
in cold storage were investigated ; as well 
as the effects of all the above factors on 
the development of apple scald during and 
after the removal from cold storage. The 
keeping qualities of about 180 varieties 
of apples used in the test are given in com- 
parative notes. 
As regards the best time to pick apples 
for storage, the results indicate that they 
should have reached full growth and high 
color before haryesting, but still be firm 
and hard when picked. Such fruit equals 
in keeping quality, and often surpasses, 
partially colored, or less mature fruit. It 
is superior to such fruit in flavor and tex- 
ture, more attractive in appearance, more 
saleable, retains its flavor longer, and is 
less subject to apple scald. Overripe 
fruit deteriorates rapidly unless placed in 
cold storage soon after picking. 
In experiments with some unusually 
-were picked. 
13 
large Tompkins King and Sutton apples” 
picked from rapidly-growing young’ treés, 
the fruit that was but three-fourths colored ~ 
kept much better than fully colored fruit.” 
When examined in February fully colored 
Tompkins King showed 28 per cent. of — 
physiological decay, while lighter-colored 
fruit from the same tree, picked and 
handled in the same manner, showed but! 
10 per’ cent. of decay. In another in 
stance small, mature fruit from older 
slower-growing trees kept well until the 
middle of April; while the commercial 
limit of fruit from young rapid-growing: 
trees in cold storage was sometimes three 
months shorter. Late varieties of fruite - 
may be picked when they are beginning’ _ 
to mellow, provided they are handled with _ 
great care and stored immediately in a 
temperature of 31 to 32 deg F.” As ~ 
further protection, however, such fruit 
should be wrapped and stored in boxes. 
As a means of securing better colored 
fruit, pruning to let sunlight into the tree 
1s suggested. Cultivation and cover crops 
which tend to vigorous growth and lighter 
colored fruits may be withheld in part ox 
the orchard seeded down until the desired 
condition is obtained. More uniform 
grades can be secured by picking trees over 
several times. This is especially desir- 
able in the case of a specialist working up 
a fancy trade in apples. 
Relative to the effects on keeping; 
quality of delay in placing fruit after pick- 
ing in cold storage, the authors found thak. 
when the weather at picking time was 
cool there was no apparent injury fromm 
delaying the storage of a large number of 
varieties of apples two weeks after they 
With warmer weather, 
however, a delay of two weeks seriously 
injured the keeping quality of the fruit: 
Rhode Island Greening, Tompkins King, 
and Sutton apples picked when the tem— 
perature averaged about 62 fleg. F., and 
stored within three days, kept firm until 
the following March without rot or scald = 
while fruit from the same trees not storedi 
until two weeks after picking was badly 
scalded or decayed by J anuary 1. “None 
of the immediate stored fruit’ was scalded 
or decayed by the first of Feb , bute 
the delayed Sutton and Rhode Tsland 
Greening apples were soft and mealy, and 
one-third were scalded at that time, while 
nearly 40 per cent. of the delayed 
Tompkins King were soft and worthless. 
The commercial value of these varieties 
was injured from 40 to 70 per cent. by 
the delay in storage.” 
* Relative to different temperatures = 
The investigations indicate that the 
ripening processes are delayed more in a 
temperature of 31 to 32 deg. F. thn in 
35 to 36 deg. F. The apple keeps longer 
in the lower temperature, it scalds less, 
the fruit rots and molds are retarded to a 
greater extent; while the quality. aroma, 
flavor, and other characteristics -$ the 
fruit are fully as good and when rv 4 
from storage it remains in good co» nt 
for a longer period.” Some fruit an 
very carefully picked and handle’ + >t 
very satisfactorily at the higher te. 1 . 
