ENTERPRISING ORCHARDIST.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 185, 22 July 1912, Page 3

ENTERPRISING ORCHARDIST.

COOL STORAGE FOR APPLES. Last month marked the opening of the first cool chamber refrigerating plant in connection with a privately-; owned New Zealand orenard. the' scene c-f the enterprise being at the > orchard of Air. Frank Sisson, at; Papanui. Christchurch. Cool stores, are recognised as usual adjuncts to. fruit farming in America and Aus-j tralia. but, so far, tb.e experiment, of placing apples as soon as they are pick; d where tin y will he in a sternly low tcmjicrati:re Intwicn LU anl '2 degrees Fahr. Las not been tiled m New Zealand. Amongst those present w.re Alt-m--. D. Ikaliio, ALP.. T. H. Davey. M.P.. G. Witty. ALP.. W J Courtier, Government fruit expert. S. Staples, chairman of the ; Wainiariri County Council, D. Mor- ■ gan and some forty others. In taking a reporter over the plant. Air. Sisson said that he had always been of the opinion that apples should be krpt m a comparatively low temperature, ami about two years ago he had expei im* nlt-d by building a large cool chamber, having double brick walls filled with six inches of sawdust ,and having the roof similarly treated. The experiment »was ia.l successful, it being lound that apples kept no better in the cool room that they cud the ; old st raw-thatched place ustd before it. Air. Bisson having read a good deal o;i the subject, and given it ’ serious thought, decided to expend £I2()GU on a compl-rte i efrigerating, outfit. Hr* had a special build.ng erected, 40ft by 25ft inside measurements, capable of holding -Isl>o

bushel cases. Great attention w;m given to the matter of insulation. The wails are double, consisting of nine inches of brick, three inches “dead air.” j inch tongue-and-grojv e boarding, covered with m iithoid, I inch boarding again, six inches of sawdust, and then a wail similar to that already describc-ci. Air. R-. S. Williams, who installed the plant, addressed those present briefly on the subject of refrigera•tioii. ■* After tea Lad been partaken of. Air. Bisson spoke to his guests. He said that his father, who was also an ; orchardist, Lad been as keen upon the subject of cool storage ns he v>as himself. Papaniti apples kt pt vejy well, but not well enough to allow of their being kept over the periods of glut and allow thun to be jj.’acetl on the market at times when apples, wore not plentiful. His scheme, if successful, would enable local fruit to Im used in place of imported. H<believed that it would enable apples ' to be available at all times at an even price, to the benefit of the con-1 sinner and producer alike. He* was confident, for in Australia four years ago ht; visited a farm which was run ning two cold room.-. ; now that farm had ten stores, each of the size of '■ the one he had erected. His wathe first plant installed in connec- { lion with a New Zealand fruit f irm. If the scheme was to be a success. : the cool storage Lad t.) 1,.* oj the orchard itself, as tlie fruit began to ; ripen as soon a- r. w.a- pi ked — perhaps more cjuiekly during the fust few day s than later.