FRUIT AND COLD STORAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2369, 27 July 1899, Page 7

FRUIT AND COLD STORAGE.

SOME INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS. .(Fboji Otjb Ows Cobbespondent.) LONDON, June 2. Now that New Zealand has . entered the Xpudon fruit market it will be interesting to many colonial fruit-growers to know what can be-done in the matter of keeping fruit in cold storage. A most interesting series of experiments have recently been conducted under the auspices of the Technical Education Committee, and their superintendent of horticulture, Mr W. P. Wright, F.R.H.S., has just issued a report on the same. Though intended primarily for the fruit of English growers, there are many things in the report which cannot fail to be instructive to New Zealand orchardists and horticulturists. It should be stated that the cold chambers used were fitted with brine walls, and cooled to any desired temperature by means of caranhydride refrigerating machines, the fruit being placed' upon tiers of galvanised wire shelves under three different conditions — (1) exposed on the shelves, (2) enveloped in grease-proof paper, (3) surrounded or covered by cotton wool. It was found that etrawberries can be kept for three weeks at least in a temperature of 30deg, but it is necessary to surround the fruit with cotton wool, or, in the case of fruit in sievea, to place a pad of that material over the top. If this precaution is not taken, the fruit, though sound, becomes dull and loses the fresh, inviting appearance which ,is so important when it is offered for bale. Black currants showed a tendency to shrivel after 10 days' storage, but plumped and freshened in a marked degree when again exposed to o.rdinary conditions for a few hours. This was especially the case with those stored in market sieves and covered with a pad of cotton wool. r After a fortnight's storage at 30deg the temperature was raised to 32deg, and this seemed to give the best results. Red currants remained perfectly sound for six weeks, and •when exposed for 16 hours to a normal temperature- maintained their freshness. The ideal conditions seemed to he. — (1) a temperature of 32deg to 36deg ; (2) a covering of paper to prevent contact with the currents of air. Cherries covered with wool and stored at 30deg were, at the end of four weeks, not only sound, sweet, and juicy, but fresh and clear. After that the fruit began to wrinkle. The fruits above referred to should be placed in stores in advance of dead-ripeness, and must not have been pecked by birds or otherwise injured. Greengages were kept for 10 weeka in excellent market coudition at-32deg. "Victoria plums remained Eound about nino weeks, but with that exception the cookiuc varieties did not lend themselves well to cold storage. Of apples, most of the leading early dessert sorts were tried, and with one or two exceptions — Cardinal, Duchess of Oldenburg, and Early Julyan, — they kept \mtil the end of January. A temperature of 36deg was found to be the most generally suitable. This fruit needs no~ covering. Pears can be kept from three to four months at least, but care must lie taken to avoid bruising, and the fruit should be stored, just before it is fully ripe, at 36deg, or a trifle lower, temperature. Coverings are not necessary. Mr Wiight states that at the middle of March he visited the cold store, and found sound fruit of the iollowing varietief: — Apples—^-Oox's Orange pippin, Colonel Vaughan, Duchess of Gloucester, Worcester Pearmain. Chelmsford Wonder (all early market varieties), Bismarck, Blenheim Orange, and Ecklinville Seedling. Peace — Conference, Doyenne, Boussoch, Doy■enne dv Cornice, and Pitmaston Duchess. Most of "these are, in the ordinary course of things, over by Christmas at the latest. Tomatoes kept sound for six weeks at a teintemperature of 36deg, but the experiment was not a complete success owing to slight surface discolouration a,t the point of attachment to the leaf stalk, which had decayed. Grapes kept best at 32deg and covered with greaseproof paper. They were cut at "the end of August, and specimens of Muscat of Alexandria began to " go off " at the beginning of November. Black Hamburghs were good a little longer, but lost their fresh inviting appearance. With peaches the trials were rather conflicting, but fruit gathered when not quite ripe was kept until December 2. Royal George kept well in 32deg for two months. In concluding his report Mr Wright observes that people do not quickly weary of highclass fruit, and a longer season than at pre sent exists could be secured for many kinds if the best 'quality were ensured. Moreover there are periods within the season of several perishable fruits, black currants, for instance, when ability to hold the pickings over, ii only for a few days, would mean securing ar enhanced price. A well-known market ex pert declares : "If there were adequate coo! storage, one third more English fruit coulc te sold at 25 per cent, more money." Mr Wright is of opinion that on a verj small scale cool storage would not pay, al though it would on a large scale, the moral o! ■which seems to be that there should be con tral cold storage for fruit, as there are cen tral creameries" for making butter. It mus be remembered that one engine will run se .veral chambers" and the poultry-dealer, th< fishmonger, the dairyman, and the butche: could have his section as well as the frui grower, says Mr Wright. It would not mat 4er in the least how many different classes o perishable food products were subjected t< cold storage at the same time, and from tbj same medium, as fruit, so long as they wer not in the same compartment, for the inter Jningling of air from other compartments cai be. entirely avoided*