FRUIT FARMING

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14327, 12 April 1912, Page 8

FRUIT FARMING

COLD STORAGE TOR APPLES.

Yesterday Mr Frank Sisson. the wellknown trui?-rower of Papanui, entertained a number of those interested in the fruit-growing industry. The occasion wa> the - opening of the nr.-t cool chamber and refrigerating plant- erected in connection witu'a New Zealand orchard. Such places arc recognised and usual adjuncts to fruit farming m America and Australia, hut, so far, the experiment ot plaein-.' auple.s as soon as tuey aro nicked viit'iv they will be in it steady ■ow tomoerature between 30 and 1_ de-rets l"ahr. has not been tried in New Zealand. Anion-jwr. tho-e present were Messr- D. Buddo, M.P T 11. Davev. M.P.. G. Witty, M.P., W. J. Courtier, Government truit expert S. Staples, chairman or the Waimain County Council. D. Mor-an, and some forty others. In taking a reporter over the plant Mr Si~..on said that he had aiways be-n of tho ooinion that apples .lioulcl be kent in a "comparatively iow temperature, aud about two years ago ho had vxiierimenied by bunding a .argo cool chamber, having double brick walls filled with fc ix inches of sawdust, ami having the roof similarly treated I lie experiment was not success! ul, it being found that apples kept no better m the cool room than they had done m the old straw-thatched place used hetore it. Mr Si-son liavin- read n good deaf on tho subject, and L.:ven >t prions thought, decided to expend _12D>) on a complete refrigerating outfit. He luui a social building erected, 1011 by Joft invide measurements, capable of holding 1-7)0 bushel cases. (Jrent attention wis "iven to the matter of insulation. The walls are double, consisting ol nine inches of brick, three inches of "dead it " ;in toi:_iue-ai)d-groo\-e boarding, 'e.Wored with malthoid, Jin hoarding .•K'ain. -six inches of sawdust, and then a "vail similar to that already described. Mr I*. S. Williams, who installed tho plant, addressee! those present briefly on the subject of refrigeration. Alter tea had been partaken ot. Mr Sisson spoke to his guests. He said that his father, who wa.s also an orchardist, had been as keen upon the subject of cool storage as he was himself. Papanui apples kept very well, but not well enough to allow ol their being kept over the periods of glut and allow them to bo placed on the market at times when apples were not plentiful. His scheme, if successful, would enable local fruit to bo u.mkl iv place ol imported. IJ«' believed that it would enable apples to bo available at all times at an even price, to the benefit of tho consumer and producer alike- He wa.s confident, for in Australia lour years a«'o he visited a farm which was running two cold rooms; now that farm had ten "stores, each of the size of the one he had erected. His was the first plant installed in connection with a New Zealand fruit farm. If the scheme was to be a success, the cool storage had to be on the orchard itself, as tho fruit began to ripen as soon as it was picked —perhaps more quickly during tho first few daws than later. Mr D. Btieldo, M.P., said that the publ : e were once again indebted to Mr Sisson for having taught them something more about fruit. . . Mr ("- Witty. M.U . spoke m a similar strain. He added that he believed that the Government might do moro for fruitgrowers. As. for instance, in tho matter of box timber—(hear, hear) —which was subject to unnecessary charges, helping neither the Department nor tho grower. Ho called tor cheers for Mr Sisson, saying that ho was entitled to praise for having mado the venture on his own account, instead of going hat in hand to tho Government. Mr If. Morgan, on behalf of tho Fruitgrowers' Association, of which Mr Sisson is president, and Mr E- Staples, on behalf of the Waimairi County Council, also spoke.