Show sags sS gS horticultural facts t t aff STORAGE HOUSE FOR APPLES details regarding methods and cost of construction given out by bureau of markets many inquiries regarding the construction st of storage houses for apples are being received by the united states department of agriculture the bureau of markets has made a careful study of this subject and drawings have been prepared showing the general arrangement and essential details for the construction of common or ventilated storage houses gy by writing the bureau of markets apple growers and associations interested cau can secure full details regarding methods find and costs of construction the selection of construction materials and advice with regard to the purchase of grading and other machinery used in packing houses usually constructed in conjunction with storage houses the e failure of the common storage houses built years ago was due to faulty construction and insufficient ventilation state the bureaus experts the walls were rarely constructed tight enough to keep out moisture and rain and the insulation was composed of so 90 called dead air spaces which were inefficient or were of sawdust which became wet and therefore useless the result was that in many sections these houses fell into disuse as the apples spoiled in them in the last two or three years however many growers hane hae become interested te in providing themselves with effi efficient elent common storage houses constructed ted and operated to hold fruit in good condition for several months this is particularly so in the pacific northwest here inhere the growers are organized into associations and have community packing and storage houses they tire are thereby enabled not only to market the fruit at a convenient time but when ihen marketing conditions are favorable practically half the apples stored in washington and idaho for marketing in winter and early spring are held in common storage houses indeed say tile the bureaus experts it if it had not been for common storage houses the apple growers in tbt th northwest would never have been able to keep pace with the increased production during the pat few years for it would have been financially impossible for them to construct adequate cold storage houses these advantages also obtain tor for the individual grower who erects a storage house in addition it Is a fact that growers are often unable to get sufficient help to grade and pack apples during the regular harvesting season ry by being able to store fruit immediate ay y grading and packing can be lone done a at t a later and more convenient time another factor is the cooling and storing of apples which growers have come to regard as essential to the alie keeping qualities of the fruit in the old days apples were permitted to remain in the orchards for weeks at a time before storing sometimes with disastrous results A cheapest form of construction of ventilated storage houses in many sections Is the wooden type according to the bureaus marketing specialists the ne house recommended recommended recommend eT provides insulation su lation which has been found to give the required degree of protection against extremes of temperature waterproof ter proof paper Is used to protect the insulation from moisture and virtually forms an envelope around the contents of the house ventilators rs are placed so that air can be circulated through every part of the structure and provided with insulated doors that can be tightly closed luring during the warm part of tile the day and opened it at night |