In keeping apples, very much depends upon the surroundings; every
variation in temperature causes a change in the fruit, and hastens
maturity and decay, and we should strive to have as little change as
possible, and also have the temperature as low as possible, so the
apples do not freeze. Then, some varieties keep much better in open bins
than others; for instance, the Greening is one of the best to store in
bins. A very good way for storing apples is to have a fruit-room that
can be made and kept at from 32 deg. to 28 deg., and the air close and pure,
put the apples in slatted boxes, not bins, each box holding about one
barrel, and pile them in tiers, so that one box above rests on two
below, and only barrel when ready to market; but this is an expensive
way, and can only be practiced by those with limited crops of apples,
and it is not at all practicable for long keeping, because in this way
they lose moisture much more rapidly than when headed close in barrels,
and become badly shriveled.
All things considered, there is no way of keeping apples quite so good
and practicable as packing in light barrels and storing in cool cellars;
the barrel forms a room within a room, and prevents circulation of air
and consequent drying and shrinking of the fruit, and also lessens the
changes of temperature, and besides more fruit can be packed and stored
in a given space than in any other way.
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