OCR Text |
Show Ihandung of ! fruit crop !ny S. II. Fulton, United StaUo Department ot Asrlcultur. The Importance of handling fruit Illicitly Is coming to bo getter reallsod. When a fruit Is taken from the tree, or plant, Us llfo processes arc accelerated, acceler-ated, ncd It It Is to bo shipped a considerable con-siderable distance or Is designed for holding cold storage. It should be handled with tho least delay possible Hero, again, In tho matter of quick hnndllng, cold storage has been an Important educating feature. APPs, delayed in transit f nt tho orchard I break dow-i ru'isa more quickly In stor-ago, stor-ago, and In tbo caso ot bad scalding varlotles, scald much worse thnn when stored Immediately after picking. pick-ing. Grimes Oolden apples from West Virginia, picked Sept. 16, and delayed In shipment until Oct. 1, developed 3? per cent, scald and 10 per cent, decay de-cay by Feb. 2, whllo the samo variety, stored without delay, kept in perfect condition. Delaware grown Klcfter pears, delayed de-layed ten days before being shipped to cold storage, continued to ripen nt soften in storage and were injured at least 60 per cent. In commercial value by tho delay. Tho effect of delay upon small f i tilts Is very much greater. In the case ot fruit designed for cold storage, a delay of 12 hours In hot weather will shorten the period of keeping by several days,, while a delay of 24 hours mTs give, time (or the mold to aprear, and the fruit be rendered rend-ered entirely worthless for storage purposes With small fruits particularly, particular-ly, the eJTcct of decay Is so disastrous that nn agency which facilitates tho quick nnd safe handling of the crop should. bo welcomed Ijj the unnll fiult grower. The package is a very Important factor in the Hnndllng as well as In the marketing tho crop. Types of packages have been evolved which confoim to tho natiiio of tho fruit for which they nro designed. Herrles aro packed In small boxes or baskets. In which the weight Is so small that the delicate deli-cate texture ot tho fruit Is not In Jured, while large, film fruits, like the apple nnd penr. ndapt themselves to large packages, such ns boxes and barrels designed for such usage. From tho cold storage standpoint, It may bo stated that fruits, which ripen quickly, quick-ly, like summer apples and poars, should bo stored In small packages which permit a rapid lowering of tho temporatuio. For such fruits, the barrel Is loo large a package, ictatnlng the heat and causing the fruit to ilpcn unduly before It can be cooled dowp. If tho storage period Is to be short an open-package open-package for such fruits rn.iy be of additional ad-ditional value, thoush not necessary If the package Is small. For berries, a closod package Is best, provided the fruit la dry and cool at picking time. |