THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15902, 13 April 1912, Page 12

THE FRUIT INDUSTRY.

COLD STORAGE EXPERIMENT.

BEING MADE AT PAPANUI

A number of local fruitgrowers assembled ou Thursday at the residence of Mr F. Sisson, at Papanui, when the opening ceremony i)i connection with tho first cool chamber and refrigerating plant to be installed in a Now Zealand orchard .was performed. In America and Australia cool chambers and refrigerating plants are in common uso, but until now the experiment of placing apples as soon as possible after picking in a steady low temperature of from 36 to 42 degrees Fahr. lias not been tried in tho dominion, Amongst those present were Messrs D. Buddo, M.P., T. H. Davey, M.P., G. Witty, M.P., W. J. Courtier, Government fruit expert and S. Staples, chairman of tho Waiinairi County Council. Mr Sisson, in explaining to the visitors the advantages of cold storage, said that he had always been of the opinion that apples could bo kept in a comparatively low temperature, and to that end ho had experimented by building a cool chamber having doriblo brick walls filled with sawdust and with a roof similarly treated. That experiment, however, had not been altogether successful ns the apples had kept no hotter than when placed in tho old straw-thatched place previously .used. Ho then decided to obtain a complete refrigerating outfit. A special building bad been constructed 40ft by 25ft insido measurements, capable, of holding 4500 bushel cases. Tho walls of this chamber wero double, consisting of nine inches of brink, three inches of “dead air,” fin boarding, a covering of nialthoid, jin of further boarding and then another wall. Mr R. S. Williams, who installed the plant, gave a brief address on refrigeration.

Mr Sisson, in addressing his guests, stated that Papanui apples kept well, hut not sufficiently well to enable them to bo placed on tho market at times when apples wero scarce If his scheme suocceded it would enable local fruit to take the place of imported fruit, so that apples would be available at all times at a reasonable price. Four years ago, when in Australia, be visited a farm which “had two cold rooms; now that fai-ni had ten stores, each of which was similar in size t-o the Papanui one, the first to be installed in the dominion. If the scheme was to succeed, the storage would have to be alongside the orchard itself, as fruit began to ripen as soon as it was picked. Mr I>. Buddo, in a brief speech, referred to Mr Sisson’s work in matters pertaining to fruit culture, and expressed tho opinion that the public wero indebted to Mr Sisson for having taught them something more about fruit. Mr G. Wittv stated that the Government might do more for fruitgrowers, especially with regard to box-timber, which was subject to unnecessary charges. He eulogised Mr Sisson’s enterprise in carrying out. the venture on his own account instead of going hat-in-band to the Government. At his call cheers were given for Mr Sisson.