OCR Text |
Show Low Temperature Right for Fruit Important Factor in Best Storage of Many Differ- ent Products. (Prepared by tho Untied Stntea Department cj Agriculture.) Temperatue plays a most Important Impor-tant part In the storage of many fruits that are Bhlpped to market from distant dis-tant areas of production. Most fruits keep well on'y within a rather limited range of temperature. With meats and dairy products the Important thing is to keep them cold enough, but many fruits are Injured Berlously by a temperature .only a few degrees lower low-er than the most favorable temperature tempera-ture for storage. Life Processes. "The life processes of fruits and vegetables," says Dr. Lon A. Hawkins, of the United States Department of Agriculture. In. explaining this fact, "are chemical or physical In nature and are governed by chernlcul and physical laws. According to Van Uoft's law, the rate of a chemical reaction Is doubled or trebled for each 18 degrees F. rise In temperature. The rate at which the life processes of fruits and vegetables proceed In storage Increases In-creases as temperature rises." Experience With Pear. Doctor Hawkins Illustrates the point by giving experience with Bartlett pears. "As a rule," he says, "this fruit will keep twice as long at 31 degrees de-grees as at 30 degrees twice as long at 3') degrees as at 43 degrees, nnd twice as long at this temperature temper-ature as at 53 degrees. In other wordi;, It will keep about eight times as long at 31 degrees as at 53 degrees. At C5 degrees, however, the fruit keeps about as long as at 53 degrees." |