THE ORCHARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 1913, 9 October 1890, Page 6

THE ORCHARD.

• ■"■ MODES OF KEEPING APPLES. Some time ago the writer, having heard tbat apples were kept all through the winter and into next summer at the Canterbury Agricultural College, wrote for information on the subject to Mr Ivey, who not only was obliging enough to explain bis method, but Bent a box of apples as a sample of what could be dono. Tbeßo apples had been on the Bhelf for 15 months, and had subsequently been transmitted by steamer and delayed for a full month after .their arrival be 'ore the box was opened. The apples were certainly not in good eating condition, but none of them were rotten. They were still eatable, and no doubt bad been very good when packed. One variety, too, was by no moans a good keeping sort — viz , the Celini. As it is by no means desirable to keep apples for 15 or 16 monthß, we may take this method as an (excellent one for keeping them, say, half that time, which is all that iv wanted for any praotical purpose. Mrlvey'splan is this;— At the shady side of the buildings be has a brick building, with a height of 12ft inside. It is very well ventilated, and the windows are so fitted with dark green blinds thai by drawing them down there is very little light, which, however, can be had (by raising them) in sufficient force to ensure good sorting. The apples are laid on wire netting shelves, the netting being stretohed tight to prevent sugging, and sacurod at intervals with proper horizontal and perpendicular supports. They are sufficiently far apart to admit of easily picking out any apple that showa any sign of decay, when it is at once removed. The mesh is l£in or 2in, and tbe apples are laid down (stalk downwards) so that the stalk goos in the centre of a mesb, and far enough apart to not actually touch eaoh other. Once placed there, they are never touobe i until removed altogether. A Blight indentation where the wire has touched is the only mark left on tbe apple. Tbe writer thought that if drawers were constructed on tbe same principle, so as to pull out for examination, it might save room, but Mr Ivey thinks there should be no motion whatever, and certainly the success of his experiment justifies his ideas. The fruit has to be gathered a little, but not too long, before it is ripe, and it must be perfectly dry, and after at least a few d»ys of dry weather. _ A great deal of interest has been taken in experiments in keeping apples of late years owing tolthe considerable advance in the prices during the winter months. In some oases in which apples have sold at Id per pound, and even lower, during the fruit season the same varieties have brought as much as 753 towards the end of winter or Bpring, when no other fruit is in the market., In England I have known apples kept for a very long time on the same principle as Mr Ivoy's, only that the shelves were of lead instead of wire netting, the only drawback being that on tbe stalk end (where the apple -touched the shelf) the fruit was a little flat, «nd on removing the skin the pulp had a brown, bruised appearanoe. If netting made of ■ round gutta peroha or some such elastic substance could be procured, with round rings without knots, instead of wire netting meshes., I think that probably the ring of indented skin and the bruise might be avoided. Apples in keeping for a very long time will not bear even their own weight, ana where it is pressed against a 'solid substance there is sure to be a bruise more or less conspicuous, Tbe fault found with apples imported into the English market from these colonies is that wherever tbe fruits touch eaoh other there is a bruise, and as most of tbe high-priced fruit is purchased as muoh for ornament as use on the tables of the rich, this is a, serious drawback, In order to, prevent this, paper should be used freely to wrap the apples separately in, or what is as good, paper shavings, which in some places are made eßpeo : ally for suoh purposes. The disadvantage of keeping apples [for use in the colony with paper wrappings iB tbat they could not be very well subjeoted to frequent mspeo tion, which is very necessary, as nothing hastens the decay of fruit more than the presence of that which is in the progress of decay. Obohabdibt.