24. 
cAnndt be given to grading properly before 
putting in storage. The contents of many 
packages are injured by the spread of 
diseases from a few imperfect apples. Rots 
enter the fruit most easily wherever the 
skin is bruised or broken, and in the early 
stages of rot development it is common 
to see the diseases manifesting themselves 
around worm holes or bruises occasioned 
by rough handling, from nails protruding 
through cases, or from other causes. The 
attractiveness and the value of the best 
fruit are often lesssned by careless 
handling. A bruised spot dies and dis- 
Finger marks made by pickers 
and injuries that may occur in transit of 
fruit all become more apparent the longer 
the article is stored. ; 
colors. 
An apple should be fully grown and 
highly colored when picked to give it the 
best keeping and commercial qualities. 
When picked in that condition it is less 
liable to scald, is of better quality, more 
attractive in appearance, and is worth 
more money than when it is picked in 
greener condition. An exception to this 
statement appears to exist in the case of 
c.rtain varieties the products of rapidly 
growing young trees. Such fruit is likely 
to be over-grown, and under these con- 
ditions the apples may need picking 
before they reach their highest color and 
fullest development. Uniform color may 
be secured by pruning to let the sunlight 
into the tree, by cultural conditions that 
check the growth of the tree early in the 
fall, by picking the tree several times, 
taking the apples in each picking that 
have attained the desired degree of color 
and size. Apples should be stored as 
‘quickly as possible after picking especially 
ifthe weather is hot. The ripening 
which takes place between the time of 
‘picking and storage shortens the life of 
the fruit in the storage chamber. The 
fruit rots multiply rapidly if storage is 
delayed and the fruit becomes heated, If 
the weather is cool enough to prevent 
after-ripening, a delay in the storage of 
the fruit may not be injurious to its 
keeping quality. 
The best fruit keeps best in cool 
storage. When the crop is light it may 
pay to store fruit of inferior grade, but in 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
: ieee tie 
‘this case the grades should be established 
when the fruit is packed. The bruising 
of the fruit leads to premature decay. A 
variety may differ in its keeping quality 
when grown in different parts of the 
country. It may vary when grown in the 
same locality under different conditions. 
The character of the soil, the age of the 
trees, the care of the orchard, all nre 
factors which modify the growth of the 
tree and fruit, and may affect the keeping 
quality of the apples. The character of 
the season also modifies the keeping 
power of the fruit. I would advise 
growers to wrap all varieties of apples so 
as to prevent wilting. It has been found 
that the wrapper may influence the 
keeping quality in several different 
It extends the life of the fruit 
beyond its normal period by retarding the 
ripening processes. The influence of the 
wrapper in this regard is 
especially at tho end of the normal storage 
season of the naked fruit when the flesh 
begins to grow mealy from over-ripeness. 
ways. 
apparent, 
At this time, the wrapped apples may be 
firm and remain in prime condition for 
or even months: ‘The 
wrapper is especially useful in extending 
the season of early winter sorts, or in 
making the long keeping varieties avail- 
able for use over astill longer period. The 
wrapper may be useful in preventing. the 
transfer of rot from one apple to another 
Tf the fungus is capable of growing in the 
storage temperature it is not likely that 
the wrapper will retard its growth, but 
when the spores develop they are confined 
within the wrapper and their dissemina- 
tion is difficult or practically impossible. 
Varieties.—Five Crown, Rome Beauty, 
Jonathan, Munroe’s Favorite, Pomme de 
Neige, Shortland Queen, Stone Pippin, 
Dougherty, Rokewouod, Scarlet Nonpareil, 
Buncombe, Yates, Stewart’s, Morgan’s 
Seedling and Statesman. Good results 
obtained from three to six months’ 
storage. Temperature, 30 deg. to 32 deg: 
FE. 
several weeks, 
— Pears. — 
Before the advent of the cool storage 
system, the supply of summer pears fre- 
quently exceeded the demand. ‘The 
markets were consequently demoralised 
November J, 1909 
in hot humid seasons, especially as regards 
the early varieties ; for instance, Williams’ 
Bon Chrétien, which is a difficut pear to 
control owing to the rapid manner in 
It has to be gold im- 
mediately to prevent heavy«losses from 
decay. It is absolutely essential that the 
greatest care should be observed in hand- 
ling of the fruit, and that it be sent wi-h 
as little delay as possible to cool storage 
after picking. All bruised or otherwise 
damaged fruit, either from rough hand- 
ling or through being affected by any of 
the many prevalent diseases associated 
with orchards, should be strictly kept 
apart for disposal to the best advantage, 
and should not be cool-stored. Pears 
should be picked and packed carefully to 
in bushel 
If it is desired to keep pears for 
a long period it is necessary for them to 
be picked before they reach full maturity 
and to be ripened in a cool temperatures 
say from 50 deg.to55deg. F. 1f the bes’ 
texture and flavour are to be developed it 
is a matter of practical judgment on the 
part of growers to determine the proper 
time of the season for picking different 
varieties of pears for cool storage. The 
stem should at least cleave eaaily from 
the tree before the fruit is ready to pick- 
Bon Chrétien, 
four to six weeks. Temperature, 32 deg t? 
33deg. F. This pear must be stored immed- 
iately after it is picked, in open ventilated 
bushel cases, and must be picked as gree? 
as possible. Doyenné Bossuch, four t@ 
five months, Temperature, 32 deg. to 33 
deg. F. This pear improves in flayour i? 
cool stores and is very profitable 
Howell, good keeper up to four months 
Temperatura, 30 des. to 32 deg. F. 
Swan’s Orange, Beurré Busc, Mati@ 
Louise, Beurré Golden, Beurré 4° 
Capiaumont, Beurré Clairgeau, Thomp7 
son’s, Bakehouse Bergamot, Broom 
Park, Kieffer’s Hybrid, Vicar of Wing? 
field, Madam Cole, Winter Cole, and 
Bailey’s Bergamot are all good keepel 
up to four months, ‘Temperature 30 deg: 
to 33 deg. F. . ; 
Winter Nelis and Josephine de Malines 
are the two most profitable pears in 60° 
storage, generally realizing from 10s. *® 
which it ripens. 
prevent bruising, preferable 
Canes, 
Varieties.— Williams’ 
