®I{6 ^. ^. pai IHtfarary v<^^ THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE DATE INDICATED BELOW AND IS SUB- JECT TO AN OVERDUE FINE AS POSTED AT THE CIRCULATION DESK. otP - 2 \^ FRUIT HARVESTING STORING, MARKETING OTHER BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR : ■• .■ Landscape Gardening Plums and Plum Culture wMMMmmmk m^ ^^iC§ii^m;i^A£s-'^'it^^'ff^^'U^ FRUIT HARVESTING STORING, MARKETING A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE PICK- ING. SORTING, PACKING, STORING, SHIPPING, AND MARKETING OF FRUIT ; ; ; ; ; / ; ; ; / BY F. A. WAUGH ILLUSTRATED NEW YORK ORANGE JUDD COMPANY 1906 VJ ^6^ Copyright Nineteen Hundred and One K. A. WAUCtH TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One— THE FRUIT MARKET PAGE I. The Two Markets . 4 II. The Market Problems 6 III. Commission Men 8 IV. The Foreign Market 12 V. Selling Associations — Pools 17 VI. The Home Market 22 VII. Production and Price 25 VIII. Utilization of Wastes 31 Part Two— PICKING I. Time to Pick 43 II. Picking Receptacles 46 III. Stems On or Off 47 IV. Conveniences and Inconveniences 48 V. Managing Pickers 52 Part Three— GRADING AND PACKING I. The Practice of Grading 60 II. What is First-grade Fruit? 61 III. The Designation of Grades 63 IV. Sorting Tables 65 V. Good Judgment in Grading 66 VI. Filling the Package 67 Part Four— THE FRUIT PACKAGE I. The American Fruit Package 73 II. The Apple Barrel 74 III. Berry Packages 77 IV. The Grape Basket 79 V. Peach Packages 80 VI. Apples in Boxes 83 VII. Other Fruits and Packages 86 PROPERTY 01^ . ^^ A. A, E. COLLEGE CONTENTS \'I1I. Summary of Packages IX. Wrapping Fruits X. Marks on Packages . I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. Part Five— FRUIT STORAGE Requirements Systems of Storage Handling the Fruit Temperatures Grape Storage Storing Vegetables Storage in Pits . Storage in "Dugouts" or "Caves' Mr. T. L. Kinney's House A Canadian Fruit House Professor Alwood's Storage House A Nova Scotia House Mr. T. B. Wilson's House Mrs. L. E. Allen's Storage House Notes on Various Storage Houses Design for Simple Lean-to Storage Design for Commodious Hillside Storage Design for a Thousand-barrel Storage House Special Design for Arthur H. Hill . Part Six— APPENDIX Imports and Exports of Fruits, United States VI VII VIII IX X II. Exports of Apples from Canada II. State Fruit-package Laws V. Apple Shippers' Rules V. The National League of Commiss of the United States Commission Charges Shipment in Refrigerator Cars . The Apple Crop and Market The Cranberry Crop ion Merchant PAGE 88 89 95 97 109 no 112 114 117 121 124 128 131 138 141 144 146 155 157 161 165 171 175 176 IS6 189 206 206 212 217 Handling Southern Grapes 220 Index 223 PART ONE The Fruit Market THE FRUIT MARKET It is of prime importance that the man who ex- pects to grow fruit for sale shall understand the fruit market and its requirements. For this reason the discussion of picking, grading, packing, storing, ship- ping, etc., may be postponed until this more funda- mental matter has been investigated. When one knows where his fruit is going and what is to be ex- pected of it, he can the more intelligently prepare to meet the needs and the whims of his customers. Fruit growing for market has increased enormously in extent, and has greatly advanced in its methods during the past twenty years. At the present time it employs vast sums of capital, furnishes a liveli- hood to armies of men, and yields, on the whole, tremendous profits. The most characteristic development of the fruit industry in the United vStates has been along the lines of the wholesale trade, the peculiarities of which are set forth below. At the present time it is unquestion- ably true that America leads the world in the produc- tion of fruit in large quantities and in the perfection with which this fruit is distributed to distant points. The fruit business in general in the United States 2 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING has increased in nuicli greater proportion than otlier agricultural industries. The following figures, show- ing the percentage of increase in total production of various agricultural crops in the United States between 1850 and 1897, are compiled from a chart in Fairchild's Rural Wealth and Welfare : * Oats 551 Tobacco 313 Wheat 465 Rye 198 Hay 376 Buckwheat .... 163 Corn 557 Sweet potatoes . . 112 Cotton . . . . . 355 Sugar loi Potatoes 331 Rice 60 Butter 323 Barley .... 1,506 Fruits .... 2,000 The increase of total population in the country dur- ing the same period was 270 per cent. But while the increased production of fruit in the United States as a whole has been thus enormous, it has been proportionately still greater in the recog- nized fruit sections. Fifty years ago there were no fruit sections. Now there are neighborhoods prac- tically given up to the growing of strawberries, other localities engaged almost exclusively in peach culture, and still other communities in which the apple is the staple crop. In- the eastern states, near the large cities and in the neighborhood of manufacturing towns, the progress of the fruit growing industry is * Fairchild, Rural Wealth and Welfare, 11. New York, 1900. THE FRUIT MARKET 3 something man-eloiis. The following statistics * show something of the trend of agricultural affairs in Massachusetts: VALUE OK AGRICULTURAL TROPERTY IN MASSACHUSETTS COMPARISON OV I885 WITH 1S95 CLASSIFICATION Total value 1885 Total value 1895 Total property $216,230,550 $219,957,214 Land 110,700,707 110,271,859 Machines, implements, etc 7.397.990 8,128,031 Buildings 74.418,218 77.920,357 Domestic animals, etc. . 17,055,153 14,854,417 Fruit-trees and vines . 6,658,482 7,924,878 Per eent increase or decrease 4- 1.72 - 0.39 + 9-87 + 4-71 — 12.90 + 19.02 VALUE OK AGRICULTURAI, PRODUCT: COMPARISON OK 1885 \V1 MASSACHUSETTS 1895 CLASSIKICATION Total products . . . Dairy products Hay, straw, and fodder Cereals + Fruits, berries, and nuts f Vegetables . . . -f Nursery products . ^ Hothouse and hotbed products -(■ Greenhouse products Total value 1885 $47,756,033 13,080,526 11,631,776 1.S55.145 2.252,748 5.227,194 138.439 73.9S3 688,813 Total value 1S95 $52,880,431 16,234,049 12,491,090 1,104,578 2,850,585 6.389.533 182,906 Per cent increase or decrease + 10.73 24.11 7.39 40.46 6.33 22.24 32.12 97,227 + 31.42 [,749,070 + 153.92 Inasmuch as the development of a fruit growing * Census of Massachusetts, 1895, pp. 331-333. Massachusetts Bureau of Statistics and I' commission house with the least pregnable con- science into some form or other of cheating. The simplest trick, of course, is to sell a consignment of fruit for a hundred dollars and return only seventy- five. But there are hundreds of others quite as effect- lO FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING ive and equally well known to the experienced fruit dealer. The result, as a whole, has been to give the commission men the reputation among fruit growers of a band of unprincipled thieves. Sometimes this Ql.u.Sca.&^^=z6: ,fc/ C. \V. KINNEY, FRUITS, + PKOBUCE, + ETC., c^tr7 '/?'^ 3S'?C ^^T3~00 \Net Pmcctasr ' 3 f '^ ^ ^ FIG. I — ACCOUNT SALES FROM A NEW YORK COMMISSION HOUSK reputation is deserved. Much oftener it is not. Some- times the shipper is as bad as the commission man. This organization of the fruit trade is certainly far from ideal. The shipper is completely at the mercy of the commission man. The whole bargain is on one side of the transaction. It will take a long time, how- ever, to change matters to another system. The present writer certainly disclaims any intention of offering a new system. If the following suggestions THK FRUIT MARKET II are carefully observed, however, it will go far toward mitigating the evils which one meets in dealing with commission men : 1. Stick to one man. — If it seems necessar>' to ship to two or three markets — as to Pittsburg, Philadel- phia, and New York — stick to a single commission house in each city, l)ut, as far as possible, ship to a single market. The man who is conducting business on a very large scale, like J. H. Hale or Roland Mor- ril. and who can keep his hand on the commission men, can afford to transgress this rule. Such men are superior to all rules. Most of us are not. For the ordinary fruit grower and shipper this rule of dealing always with one commission firm is of the utmost con- sequence. 2. Ship the same varieties year after 3'ear, and make the grade ju.st as uniform as possible. Even if some- thing short of the best fruit is shipped, uniformity of grade is highly advantageous. The commi.ssion house knows what to expect, and customers get u.sed to the brand and the grade. There are hundreds of shippers growing all classes of fruits whose products are com- monly already sold when they arrive in the market. Uniform and honest packing does it. 3. Select a braiid which is neat, catchy, and not too large, and see that it goes on every package. Some men have made reputations and money out of their brands. 4. Grade and pack with the most rigid ho7iesty. — Don't try to cheat a commission man. It can't be 12 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING doue. The commission man has the last turn, and he is absolutely sure to protect himself, whatever happens to the shipper. Moreover, any evidence of dishonesty immediately destroys the dealer's confidence in that consignor, and selling is seriously interfered with. Thereafter packages must be opened and examined before they are sold, and they are not offered to the best customers. 5. Follow the advice of the commission man as far as possible when you have settled on a good one. Ship fruit when he wants it. Send the varieties and grades that he wants, and in every other feasible way con- form to the requirements of his business. His busi- ness is the fruit grower's business. He is the fruit grower's agent. He should be treated as such. IV. THE FOREIGN MARKET Before leaving the general subject of the wholesale market, it may be best to give some attention to the European outlet for fruit. There are considerable quantities of apples shipped from the United States to Europe every year, the larger majority going to Eng- land. A few .shippers have their regular European customers, who require a certain quantity of American apples each year. The Albemarle Pippins of Virginia and the Newtown Pippins of New York are particular favorites in England with special buyers. There are hardly any of our hardy fruits except the apple, how- ever, ever shipped out of the United States. Mr. Peter Barr, I remember, was very sure, when he was visiting here, that a good trade in American grapes could be built up in London by proper management. THE FRUIT MARKET 13 His belief is based on the best of reasons, but as yet there is no export business to speak of in this line. Shipments of fruit from Canada to England and Scotland are more regular, and, at least comparatively, nuowfnic amuui -homeward.- OOnN .EXCHANGE BUILDINGS. 27 FENNEL STREET. BTRfctT. / ACCOUNT SALES 0/ JJiJ^ Jum^^JM/ JHTN^ t /O / C / q 3 / f( I /»- n i r y /o / 2 -tw CBASQEB .- Frright Dut-j Paid UanchtHer Ship Canal Tolh and Quay Chargit Cartage and Porterage at Docks and Warehoutinf SampUng and Taring Clearing and Forwarding Warehoute Held Fire Insurance biterett on Freight « ^^ Brokerage Ka kj /i ''^ 9 *fo Puttoget. 8 "J 55 T <• Kn„- 1 i ) 7 19/-. • 56 57 ,. k Mlul \V,-t 1 16/9 12,3 1 G/a 58 <■ iVi-ii. 59 ! -l l'2/3 60 Oi, Slieu"" 4 uTe; <5 61 \V.-.:Lltl,v St, l^iui.-n i\!il'r.,Vn. •e •: 1 •' ^- . "^in FIG. 3 — KEI'ORT OK SALES OF CANADIAN FRUITS AT MANCHES- TER, ENGLAND, SHOWING "slacks" AND " WETS " larly. Shipping a great quantity of fruit one year and leaving the market vacant the next year does not foster, but rather prevents, the establishment of a profitable business. Considerable markets for our apples were opened in continental Europe in 1896, and a horticultural friend of mine who traveled there in 1897 told me that there was a frequent call for Ameri- 1 6 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING can apples and a general disappointment that none were offered. The crop of 1897 was short, however, and prices were so good in New York, Boston, Phila- delphia, and Baltimore that nobody cared to take the risk of shipping to Germany. This is likely to be the situation at least for many years to come. When shipments are made to the European market certain precautions are to be observed. First, only firm, solid fruit of fine appearance should be shipped. As in the general domestic market, high quality is not so important as attractive appearance. But the fruit must be the very best in shipping quality, and such as will sell for the highest price. This is imperative. Freights and other charges are so high that they con- sume the entire receipts from poor or mediocre fruit. It costs just as much to ship and sell a barrel of poor apples as a barrel of good ones, and it is only on the good barrel that there is enough left over to bring any- thing back to the shipper. In the second place, considerably greater pains than usual must be taken in packing. The ocean voyage, often on a lurching, pitching ship, and the rough handling on the docks, severely test the best packing. If there is the least slack space the fruit immediately begins to be bruised, and, in many cases, arrives in the market a shapeless mess of mush. The circum- stances would indicate the propriety of shipping fruit wrapped and packed in small packages. Unfortunately for the theory of it, this treatment has not been gener- ally profitable with apples. Perhaps it will do better in the future. In the third place, European shipments should be THE FRUIT MARKET l^ confined, as far as possible, to a few well-known and standard varieties. Ben Davis apples generally do well. Kieffer pears have not been well received; bnt there are too many good pears grown in Europe. Per- haps Kieffers will do better after the marketmen get accustomed to them. V. SELLING ASSOCIATIONS — POOLS The inherent weaknesses of the relation between fruit grower and commission man, and the very un- satisfactory result of that relation in special cases, have often led to earnest, almost desperate, effort to escape from the situation. There appear to be two favorite avenues of retreat. The first leads toward the special or private fruit market, and the man who follows it attempts to transfer his business to the basis of the personal or direct market. The situation as respects this personal market is fully discussed further on in this chapter. The second way of escape from the commission dealer leads in the direction of cooperative selling, selling associations, pools, and the like. In the latter case the business remains on the wholesale basis — the fruit growers .still attack the general market. Numerous associations of this character, some com- prising only two or three neighbors, some involving large capital and considerable organization, have been formed in this country. On the whole, their experi- ence has not been encouraging. Such organizations, however, are most admirable in theory- (if one leaves out of consideration certain fundamental principles and looks only at external circum.stances). The theoreti- l8 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING cal reasons (all of them sound) usually urj^cd in favor of cooperative marketing are about as follows: 1. Distribiitio7i. — An association of fruit growers can secure a better distribution of the crop. Instead of rushing all the fruits into one convenient market, as independent growers are apt to do, thereby causing a glut while leaving other markets vacant, the associa- tion can distribute the crop to suit the demand at all the various points within reach. In the case of per- ishable fruits, where rapid handling and quick sales are imperative, an association can maintain telegraphic communication with all the markets, and is thus en- abled to ship to-day to one point and to-morrow to another, according to the fluctuating general supply at each point. 2. Salesmen. — An association can employ salesmen. These may be either traveling ' ' drummers, ' ' w^ho visit dealers hither and yonder, seeking an outlet for the fruit handled by the association, or they may be resident salesmen, who handle goods just as the com- mission houses do, but who work on a salary instead of at a commission. 3. Economy. — An association can operate more economically. Storage can be secured when needed. Men can be hired to better advantage. Fruit pack- ages can be bought in large quantities at lower rates. Sometimes fertilizers are bought through the associa- tion, and other economies effected. 4. Transportation. — An association can secure better transportation rates. On account of the larger THE FRUIT MARKET I9 volume of business, transportation companies will com- pete for the traffic ; and even when competition amounts to little, material shipping concessions can sometimes be secured by an association having a con- siderable quantity of fruit to handle. 5. Gradiiig.- -K\\ association can establish a uni- form grade. If this could actually be done in prac- tice it would be a matter of first consequence. Else- where the importance of uniform grading for the general market is elucidated more in detail. The fact is, however, that tremendous difficulties arise when an association endeavors to establish a standard grade; and these difficulties grow rapidly greater as the .standard of grading is advanced. Nevertheless, what- ever approach the association is able to make toward uniform packing and grading is an advantage to the business. 6. Command of the market. — Certain large markets are at the command of an association handling quan- tities of fruit, though the same markets will not han- dle small and irregular shipments. 7. Restriction of outpid. — An association, in certain cases, can influence prices in its own favor by control- ling the output to some extent. Many of these advantages are so obvious, and apparently so easy to attain, that the fruit-.selling association has been a rather common experiment. There are three fundamental difficulties, however, in the way of their success, and the drawbacks have usually proved more powerful than the advantages. 20 FRUIT HARVEvSTING, STORING, MARKETING The principal troubles which have to be met are these : I. .Distrust. — All classes of farmers are constitu- tionally and proverbially distrustful of other people and of one another. In a fruit association there arise — such is the experience — the most inveterate jealous- ies. Each man thinks he is furnishing a better grade of fruit than his neighbor, though all share alike in the profits. Each one fears the other will reap some special advantage somehow. In particular, the ap- pointment of managers, superintendents, supervisors of grading, shipping agents, and all other officials of the company, offers a sufficient opportunity for the elaboration of all sorts of neighborhood quarrels. Each man thinks he ought to be manager, and when one man is finally chosen he is usually suspected of all sorts of favoritism. In any case he is apt to be ham- pered in his business relations by committees, boards of directors, and various kinds of red tape and foolish- ness. Often he has to consult a committee before taking anj' important action. Think of J. H. Hale consulting a committee before selling a couple of car- loads of peaches, or of T. B. Wilson calling a directors' meeting to see if he should accept or refuse $3.45 a barrel for his apples ! Most men don't even consult their wives ! Another difficulty which arises from the same cause is that the subscribers to such an association never want to pay a manager manager's wages. Two or three dollars a day is considered good pay. Yet such a man is compelled at times to handle thousands THE FRUIT MARKET 21 of dollars' worth of business. The position is such as, in ordinary business life, would often command a sal- ary of five thousand dollars a year or more. 2. Irregularity in grading . — Unless all the fruit can pass practically under the eye and through the hands of one man, it is impossible to preserve a uniform grade. If, as often happens, the sorting is done by a committee, selected more with a view to mollifying the feelings of sundry subscribers than to the expertness of the packers, then all sorts of grading result. Then the association sends out one grade of fruit to-day as XXX and another grade to-morrow under the same mark. This kind of business immediately de- stroys the confidence of the purchaser, while demand and price decrease. This difficulty of maintaining a uniform grade for a fruit association has proven, in practice, to be one of the most serious. 3. hiversion of competition. — In the ordinary course of trade, including the sale of fruit, the best fruit brings the most money and pays the largest profit. A man has every incentive, therefore, to grow the best fruit he can and to pack it as well as he knows how. When interests are pooled in a selling association, the poor fruit brings just as much as the good. The man who can squeeze in the poorest fruit, grown and handled at the least cost, thus makes the largest profit. The competition is thus turned from the production of the best fruit to the production of the worst. Every- man tries to .see how poorly he can do. The eternal law of progress, that law which provides for the sur- vival of the fittest, is abrogated, and, temporarily, the 22 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING preference goes to the unfittest. This matter is of such fundamental importance that, of itself, it is capable of overcoming all the theoretical advantages of coopera- tive organization enumerated above. Cooperation has been successful in some cases; but the writer does not know of any conspicuous instance of such success, nor of any continuously successful organization on any scale. VI. THE HOME MARKET To reach the general fruit market one has to grow the varieties which the market demands. In supply- ing the home trade one may cultivate the market to take what he has to offer. This difference sometimes amounts to a great deal. One may be able in this way to lead his customers to buy those things which he can produce most easily and profitably. For the most part, the greatest success in the home market is reached when the fruit handled is of the highest possible quality. A few customers who will take an extra select grade at a fancy price are better than many customers who are satisfied with a second- rate fruit, but who will not pay more than the green- grocer's price. Fruit should be supplied regularly to personal customers in the home market. Buying fruit is merely a habit in many families, and the habit is most readily noticeable by its absence in the majority of households. If the fruit wagon stops every Tuesday and Saturday, or even once a week, the mere regularity of the visit presently begins to sell some goods. Fruit should also be supplied continuously through THE FRUIT MARKET 23 as long a season as possible. In the home market one can not depend on disposing of a large quantity at once, and the bulk of business must accrue through the extension of the season. This requires that the man who supplies the home market must grow a con- siderable variety of fruits. He should be able to start the season with strawberries, to follow these with rasp- berries, these with dewberries or blackberries, or both, these with cherries, these with early plums and green gooseberries, later to bring green apples and the first peaches, and so on through the year. Frequently cer- tain vegetables can be handled to advantage with fruits, particularly such things as tomatoes, muskmelons, and the like. In general, however, the man who is most successful in fruit growing is not equally successful in vegetable growing. It is hardly good policy to try to handle a complete line of both fruits and vegetables. Onions and strawberries do not combine well. Besides seeking to handle the best grades of fruit, the man who supplies his own private customers should use all pains to have everything as neat and clean as forethought and sapolio can make them. The baskets and packages should be fresh and spotless. The boy who comes to the door should wear a conspicuously white apron. The fruit should be delivered in a neat covered wagon, bearing just enough advertising and not too much. Everybody should know whose de- livery wagon it is and what it carries ; but no one should be able at a little distance to mistake the turn- out for a traveling medicine outfit or the advertising wagon of a coming circus. Announcement should always be made in advance 24 FRUIT HAKVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING of fruits that are coming into market. Let the de- liveryman say, "We sliall have some Shaffer rasp- berries next week. They are not very pretty, but they make A No. i shortcake;" or, "Next week we can bring you vSome Duchess apples. They are first- class for sauce or jelly. ' ' I know one fruit grower who is very successful in a small local market, and who announces his wares in the local newspaper every week. His little advertisement says: JONES'S FRUIT FARM This week we have the last of the straw- berries— big, fine, juicy Gandys, at 25 cents a quart. They're the last you get this year, and about the best. We also have some fine lettuce. Next week we shall offer the first raspberries, which will cost 35 cents a quart and will be worth it. A good liberal price — not excessive — should be fixed each day for each grade of goods, and should not be cut under for any reason whatsoever. It is much better to carry the whole .stock home and put it in the canner}^ or the dry-house than to allow the price to be higgled down. A man who expects to deal with the same customers month after month must be absolutely immovable at this point. The matter of collections belongs to general business and is not properly a part of the fruit trade. Still, it is the most important part of the marketman's business, and .should be managed with the utmost care. It is always best to insist on prompt and regular payments. A-*'^ o^ f- c^e THE FRUIT MARKET 25 It is better to sacrifice a liberal patron than to allow collections to get badly behind. The importance of this matter is proved by the experience of hundreds and hundreds of marketmen everj'where. VII. PRODUCTION AND PRICE Over-production is a word which has often been conjured w4th in the discussion of agricultural topics. It seems usually to have served for the confusion of the hearer and usually for the equal confusion of the speaker. Over-production is commonly used to mean two widely different things. In some cases it is in- tended to mean the production of more fruit or grain than can be consumed; in other cases it means merely the offer of more fruit or grain than the market will accept at the price asked. In the former sense there is no such thing as over- production of fruit, and probably not of any agricul- tural crop. It is said that there can be no over-pro- duction of wheat w^hile thousands of people are hungry and starving. There are always plenty of people hungry for strawberries, even when the market is most hopelessly glutted. There is, absolutely speaking, no over-production ; there is simply an over-supply. The term over-supply ought to be substituted for over-production in almost all discu.ssions, since over- supply is the thing usually discussed. The problem of over-production will never worry a fruit grower, but over-supply is one of his greatest dangers. Over-supply is merely one of the extremes in the ever-fluctuating ratio of supply and demand. It should be considered, therefore, as incidental to the 26 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING fundamental problem. Its real significance will appear more clearly in the course of the following study of demand, supply, and price. Two entirely independent conditions influence the price of any commodity. The first is cost of produc- tion. In a general way, as every one knows, the price of an article must be determined by what it costs to make it. It costs more to produce a barrel of apples than to produce a quart of strawberries, and the apples necessarily sell for a correspondingly higher price. But, aside from the cost of production, the rela- tion of supply and demand determine the price. Prices increase with demand and diminish with supply. The mathematician would say that demand divided by supply gives price; or he would write it in the form of an equation, thus : p_ d s or he might say that price is the expression of the ratio between demand and supply. Whatever he might say it would be no clearer than the practical fact that when peaches are plenty the price goes down, and when they are scarce it goes up. Now as the supply increases and price decreases, a point is reached presently where the market price equals cost of production. The margin of profit has been wiped out, and that market may properly be said to be over-supplied with the commodity in ques- tion. Sometimes fruit continues to be offered at prices below the cost of production, but such offerings can not long be continued. The cost of production thus THE FRUIT MARKET 27 forms the lower limit in the varying ratio of demand and supply. Since price is the quotient of demand and supply, it follows that anything which influences either has a direct effect upon price. A study of the causes affect- ing prices thus becomes a study of the conditions affecting both supply and demand. As the question of price is the one lying nearest the fruit grower's pocketbook, we may properly examine these conditions in detail, even at the risk of being tedious. The conditions affecting the market supply are production, transportation, information, perishabiUty, storage. '^ V I. Production. — The larger the crop, other things being equal, the greater the market offerings. The market was glutted with apples in 1896 simply be- cause of large production. Peaches were scarce in the Boston wholesale markets in 1899 merely because very few peaches were raised that year. Production, in turn, depends on the weather — how much, every fruit grower knows — on frost and hail, or on timely rains. Production depends also on the ease with which a crop is grown. Anybody can grow apples — that is, some kind of apples ; and that is why the apple market is so apt to be over-supplied in a good year. Very few people can grow nectarines or apri- cots, and, in consequence, an over-supply of these fruits is less likely to occur. Production varies also with price. Higher prices stimulate production. Low prices diminish production. Thus our equation reacts upon itself. The mathe- 28 FRUIT HARVRSTTNO, STORING, MARKETING niatics of it are spoiled; but that onj^ht nofto draw a complaint from the mathematician, for the same cir- cumstances have often spoiled the calculations of the fruit grower. This stimulation which high prices give to production tends to set a maximum limit on price — that is, to the varying ratio of demand and supply. 2. Transportation. — Next to production, transpor- tation facilities chiefly determine the quantity of fruit offered in a given market. Increased transportation facilities, therefore, by bringing larger quantities of fruit to market, tend to depress prices. This rule is hardly open to exception; but it must be noted that though prices may be reduced, the grower's net profits may be increased. 3. Information. — The rapid circulation of informa- tion concerning markets tends powerfully to regulate the distribution of a fruit crop. It sometimes happens that the Cincinnati market is glutted with grapes on the very day when the people of Pittsburg are almost bereft of that comforting fruit. But where .shippers are properly informed, these mistakes of distribution do not occur. This is one of the best features of sell- ing a.s.sociations or pools. See page 18. 4. Perishability. — The more perishable fruits show extreme fluctuations in supply. When strawberries are ripe they have to be sold; and as they ripen rapidly during hot weather and at the hight of the .season, the supply increases enormously at such times. 5. Storage. — Facilities for fruit storage equalize the supply, making it le.ss at the hight of the .season and greater in succeeding weeks. THE FRUIT MARKET 29 The conditions affecting the demand for any given class of fruits are price, quahty, acquaintance, .season, supply of other fruits. 1. Price. — It has already been seen that price influ- ences production, and so reacts on itself. But it influ- ences demand still more, thus reacting doubly upon itself. Nothing else will move a quantity of fruit so quickly as an attractive reduction in price. 2. Quality. — Good fruit sells much more rapidly than poor fruit. The buyer who gets a good package of fruit will likely want another. Poor fruit is apt to lag in the market at any price. 3. Acquaintance. — Buyers call for those fruits with which they are acquainted. There is a steady demand for Baldwin apples and practically none for Sutton, though Sutton is a much fairer and better apple of the same season. The reason is that Baldwin is known to everybody, while Sutton is a .stranger. A friend of mine had to give away his De Soto plums the first year becau.se nobody knew what they were ; but the suc- ceeding year his customers a.sked for them and pre- ferred them to Lombards. There is only a small mar- ket for American apples in continental Europe, for the single reason that American apples are hardly known there. When the excessive crop of 1896 forced Ameri- can apples into German markets they found friends, and in 1897 German buyers were anxiously inquiring for the fruit they could not get. The Canadian gov- ernment, in .seeking to .stimulate the demand for Canadian apples in England, does .so chiefly by making the fruit better known to English consumers. 30 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING. MARKETING 4. Season. — There is an urgent demand for limited quantities of certain fruits out of their normal season. Hothouse strawberries and tomatoes usuall}- bring dis- proportionately high prices. For the mo.st part, how- e\er, the greatest volume of demand coincides with the market season of each fruit. Fameuse apples are wanted in November and December, and Northern Spy in February and March. Strawberries are wanted in strawberry season, while a month later most people prefer ra.spberries. The demand for certain fruits at certain seasons, however, is sometimes due to more recondite causes. Thus there is, in the eastern states, a demand for early plums and for late plums, while mid-season varieties are apt to go begging. This is because the few early plums are wanted for eating fresh, while the late ones are used for canning. Dur- ing August the housewives are either at the seashore or on the back porch trying to keep cool. Nobody wants to stand over a hot sto\'e canning plums during dog days. But when vacation is over and the days are cooler the housewives' thoughts begin to turn to the winter supply of canned fruits, and then the late- ripening Green Gages, Italian prunes, and Damsons come into strong demand. 5. Supply of other fruits. — When bananas are ex- cessively plenty and cheap, fruit eaters hesitate to pay large prices for apples. When peaches are low in price the}' are canned in preference to high-priced plums. The price of plums, in fact, is apt to be determined by the supply of peaches. Thus the supply of one fruit affects the demand for others throughout the list. THE FRUIT MARKET 3 1 All these factors must be kept in view b}- the fruit grower who is studying the price of his goods. It will be seen, however, that certain of these conditions are more within the control of the individual fruit grower than others. So far as his own goods are concerned, the price at which they will .sell depends chiefly on quality, .season, peri.shability, and storage. These fac- tors he can determine for himself — at least to a large extent — and to them he will naturally give his prin- cipal attention. VIII. UTILIZATION OF WASTES Fruit growing is essentially a manufacturing busi- ness. The points in which the production of a fine grade of strawberries agree with the production of men's ready-made shirts are many, and an extensive comparison of the two lines of business might be made with profit, except that it would be too much of a digression to fit with the simple plan of this essay. In most lines of manufacturing the saving of the wastes and the utilization of by-products are highly important parts of the business. Some manufacturers actually lose money on the main output, while pajang good dividends out of the by-products. The packing- house men say that they can lo.se money on every beef animal killed, and yet make money enough out of cowhides and the fertilizer tank to save themselves handsomely. A friend of mine who used to help Mr. Armour handle pork told me that they saved everj' jot and scrap of the hog except his dying squeal, and that they hoped presently to contract that to the gov- ernment for use in fog-horns. 32 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Now nothing is more obvious than that the fruit grower meets with serious wastes. Sometimes a third part of his peacl:es are unsuitable for the market, and apple growers occasionally throw out more apples than they put into the barrels. Any profit which might be wrung from these wastes would be especially accept- able. Unfortunately it must be said that the utilization of fruit wastes has never proved conspicuously suc- cessful; and, furthermore, that, in the majority of instances where something has been done, the profit has not accrued chiefly to the man who grew the fruit. The causes which have contributed to this result will become more obvious, perhaps, in the course of the following discussion. The principal ways of using waste or cull fruits are drying, canning, preserving, jelly making, manufacture of cider, vinegar, spirits, etc. A few words on each of these may suffice. I . Dryhig and evaporating. — One of the best uses to which cull fruit can be put is to dry it or evaporate it. Formerly the home manufacture of dried apples, dried peaches, dried pumpkins, etc. , was common in all the farming districts of the United States — at least, in the north — and home-dried fruit was to some extent an article of barter in the country stores. That day has passed. Home-dried apples and peaches went out with home-knit socks and home-made soap. There are still families who dry their own apples, just as there are some who still make soap and knit .socks; but for the most part these have all been given up. The change THE FRUIT MARKET 33 has been the same in all cases, and has resulted from the same causes. It is cheaper to buy soap than to make it, easier to get ready-made socks than to knit them, and equally easier to buy dried fruit than to dry it one's self. It is a question of division of labor. The man or the stock company that makes a KIG. 4 — SIMPLEST FORM OK EVAPORATOR. MADE TO SKT UPON THE KITCHEN STOVE business of drying fruit on a large scale can do the work to much greater advantage than the farmer or the farmer's wife. His product is more uniform, better in appearance, and perhaps also better in quality than the home-made article, while at the same time it can be sold at a much lower price. Fruit drying and evaporating, therefore, has been almost wholly taken out of the fruit growers' hands, and has fallen under the management of specialists. Under ordinary circumstances the fruit grower has nothing to do with it except to deliver his peaches or 34 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING his Ijlackberries at the dry-house. As this book is written for the fruit grower we need not examine closely into the business of the fruit buyer, the cold storage manager, the transportation company, the evaporating house, or the outside speculator. We are concerned only in the home drying of fruit, and such drying is nearly obsolete. We may be sorry that it is .so; but that does not change the fact, and it need not lead us aside from the present discu.ssion. All sorts of fruit can be dried or evaporated ; so can many vegetables. Apples, peaches, apricots, plums, blackberries, and raspberries, among the fruits, are especialh- good when well evaporated ; and corn and pumpkins are most prized of the vegetables. Different varieties behave differently in drying, de- pending largeh' on texture and water content. These diflEerences are particular!}- noticeable among apples. The general nature and range of these variations may be seen from the following table, giving the amount of dried fruit secured from the bushel of green fruit, and the approximate time required for drying : Pounds to Hours required the bushel to evaporate Roxbury Russet 9 ij^ to 2 Swaar 5V2 rJ^X to 2^:^ Gilliflower \)4_ 1% to 2!^ Twenty-ounce 5 2 to 1"% • Holland Pippin 5 2 to 2}^ Seek-no-further 4% 2 to 2% Spitzenberg 6}4 2 to 214 Greening 6 2 to 2)^ Fall Pippin 6 2 to 2% Belleflovver sH 2!^:^: to 2^ Baldwin 6% 21;^ to 2^ King 5K 2% to 3^^ THE FRUIT MARKRT 35 FIG. 5 — A MORi, ELAliORATK COOK bTUVE KVAl'ORATOR From the above table it will be seen that it is better, when apples are to be dried, to assort them, drying the kinds that are most alike together. Very simple evaporators can be bought for home use. The two shown in Figs. 4 and 5 are of this 36 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING nature. Both are made to sit directly upon an ordinary cook stove or kitchen range, and to take their heat from that source. Such machines will dry from one to two bushels of green fruit a day. The capacities of the larger as well as of the smaller evaporators may be judged from the following figures, taken from the circular of the Vermont Farm Machine Co. : Size Capacity. ^^''■>'^ Inches Bushels per day ofgrcenjfuit, No. o* 5 20 X 20 I to 2 No. GO* 6 20 X 24 2 to 3 No. I 7 22 X 28 3 to 4 No. 2 10 22 X 31 6 to 8 No. 3 13 22x34 12 to 16 No. 33^ 13 30-^34 16 to 22 No. 4 15 30x48 30 to 40 No. 5 18 30x54 50 to 60 The prices of these machines range from $15 for No. o to $175 for the No. 5. These may be taken as representative of the prices charged by other manu- facturers for similar apparatus. The more elaborate machines are built on the same general principles as the smaller ones, except that they are provided with their own furnaces. Figure 6 shows a typical machine of the larger sort. This particular machine is rated to evaporate eighteen to twenty-five bushels of apples in twenty-four hours. The general manipulation of the small evaporators is fairly simple, and they are not subject to accidents or serious difficulties. The following directions given by the manufacturers for the management of one of the smaller machines will apply to nearly all others, * No furnace ; used on kitchen stove. THE FRUIT MARKET 37 and serve to show the general requirements of home evaporation : "A moderately hot stove or range is all that is re- quired as to heat. Keep all the plates or covers on the stove, and set the drier on the top. Each tray holds one and a half to. two_ quarts of berries, cherries, etc., FIG. C — A FULL-FLEDGED EVAPORATOR, HAVING ITS OWN FURNACE without obstructing the hot air currents. Do not put more in a tray. Enter all trays with fresh fruit next to the stove, and change from lower to upper tracks, as other trays are entered, or as the dr^nng progresses. When nearly done, the contents of a couple of trays may be put upon one, and fresh fruit entered and the operation continued indefinitely. Avoid putting the fruit on the trays so thick, either fresh or in doubling 38 FRUIT HAKVKSTING, STORING, IVIARKETING that i)artially dried, so as to obstruct the free circula- tion of the hot air currents through the machine, as this checks rapid work. Avoid scorching by moder- ate firing and close attention to frequent changing of the trays. If sulphur is to be used to prevent oxida- tion and secure a bright, handsome color for apples, pears, and peaches, simpl}- drop a piece of brimstone about size of a medium bean on the stove, close to or under the drier, and it will ignite and the fumes will be drawn upward through the machine and do the work. If you are operating in a close room or kitchen, and the smell is objectionable, you can fill the trays and put them in a box or barrel, with a cover on, and burn a little sulphur under them out in the open air, and then enter the trap's in the machine. Procure a piece of mosquito-netting to throw over the machine when set aside, to guard against flies and other insects. This will not be in the way when on the stove. Do not cover top of machine with paper or a close cloth when in use, as it would stop the hot air currents going through it and prevent its working well, or at all." The use of sulphur, as suggested above for the bleaching of the fruit, is frequently practiced. If carefully done, it gives excellent results. The fruit is made more attractive in appearance, it keeps better, and the flavor is unaffected. Excessive sulphuring, however, gives a less desirable color, and destroys the flavor of the fruit. In extreme cases the fruit is ren- dered totall\- uneatable, and even poisonous. 2. Canning. — The canning industry has enjoyed an unparalleled development in the United vStates during THE FRUIT MARKET 39 the last twenty -five years, and more particularly during the last decade. This will appear from certain figures given in the Appendix. The can- ning industry, proper, does not belong to the fruit grower, however. In certain ca-ies the fruit grower plants, tends, and han-ests fruit especially for the canning factor>\ In such cases the cannery is to be looked on as the fruit market, and is to be treated just the same as any other fruit market under similar con- ditions. In a good many instances, however, the can- neries are located near large fruit markets (particu- larly about Baltimore), and depend to a considerable extent for their supply of fruit on the waste from the general market. They take the second-class and damaged consignments off the hands of the commission men. Thus an outlet is made for much waste fruit; but this outlet is not in the fruit grower's control. Home canning, although highly to be recom- mended, seldom reaches such proportions as to affect the fruit market, even of the individual who does the canning. In home canning, nloreo^'er, the best fruit is apt to be selected, so that it is no longer a problem of utilizing wastes. The work, therefore, has little connection, direct or indirect, with the business of fruit marketing. 3. Other Vict hods. — Waste apples are sometimes fed to stock, especially to cows, sheep, and hogs. It is still a question what their feeding value is, though it is certainly not very great. It is better to feed waste fruit to stock than to make no use of it at all. Other fruits besides apples are sometimes fed to stock, par- 40 I-KUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING ticularly to pigs. It is said that pigs will cat anything but tomatoes and tobacco. Cider making, in some cir- cumstances, offers a more or less profitable outlet for waste apples; and peaches occasionally develop into peach brandy. Perhaps the best brandy made in this country is distilled from apricots; but taken altogether, the production of brandy or other spirits from fruit in America — wine making excepted — is not important enough to affect the general fruit business. Wine making is a subject by itself, and can not be treated here. Cider manufacture, likewise, should be treated with wine making rather than with fruit marketing. PART TWO Picking PICKING The marketing of fruit really begins with the pick- ing. In fact, a great man}- buyers go to the fields, bargain for the fruit on the trees, and attend to the picking, grading, and packing themselves. Even when the grower holds his owai fruit for a consider- able time betw^een picking and selling, his method of handling it in the market must all be foreseen at picking time, and the picking must be managed in a way to fit in with the general plan of marketing. ^ I. TIME TO PICK The perishable fruits are picked for market some time before the\' are really ripe. The exact time can be determined only by experience. It will depend on the distance the fruit has to be shipped, on the ship- ping quality of the variet}-, and on other considera- tions. Strawberries are picked as soon as they color. Red raspberries are left till they begin to soften slightly. Black raspberries are picked as soon as they will part from the receptacle on which they grow. Blackberries and dewberries are usually picked as soon as they are evenly colored. Goo.seberries are often, in fact usually, picked while yet quite green. Currants are allowed to color, but must be picked before they are ripe, especially if they are to be of any use in jelly making — the end to which they are oftenest destined. 44 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Grapes are picked when they are ready, and it takes a man of experience to tell when that is. In the north- ern states, however, they may be allowed to hang late on the vines. In some vineyards the later varieties are habitually left out several daj's after the frost has removed most of the leaves from the vines. Thus they get the late autumn sun, and ripen up with a sweetness and a perfection otherwise unattainable in the short northern season. Peaches and apricots are picked as soon as they show the first traces of ripening. The well-trained picker tests each fruit by taking it between his thumb and fingers, and feeling of it with the ball of his thumb. The fruit is not .squeezed nor brui.sed; but if it has the faintest feeling of mellowness its time has come, and the picker transfers it to his basket. Cherries are picked just before they ripen, and the best test for ripeness is to eat a few. After one gets the standard fixed in his mind by this simple and effective test he can tell by the color of the fruit whether it is at the desired stage or not. Plums will bear picking when decidedly green — at least, many plums will, the Japanese varieties in par- ticular. If they are destined for a near-by market they can be allowed to get fairly ripe, and in nearly all cases they should be allowed to hang as long as possible, except when they are wanted for jelly making. Most of the Japanese plums and some others ripen very nicely after picking, and they may be kept for three or four weeks even in a moderately cooL dark place, and come out ripe, juicy, and fit. In extreme cases they can be kept considerably longer. Some of the native PICKI^G 45 plums, like Wildgoose and Pottawattamie, are apt to break their skins when overripe, and additional pre- cautions have to be obser\-ed to pick such varieties sufficiently green. Pears are usually taken from the tree before they are ripe, and are stored in a moderately cool, dark place to ripen. They should not be piled up too deeply. For marketing it is probablj' best to pack them temporarily in boxes and baskets convenient for handling. In case they are to go to market soon they may even be packed directly into the permanent boxes or baskets, and these packages may be placed in the storage room. Aside from the Kieffers and the Cali- fornia fruit, the pear business is so small in this country that no satisfactory system of handling it has been worked out. Apples are practically never allowed to ripen fully on the trees. Many early apples, especially from southern orchards, are sent to market before they are full grown and while the seeds are quite white. Sum- mer and earl}^ fall apples are always sold considerably on the green side. I^ate keeping varieties do not really ripen, of course, till January or March, as the case may be, but they are ready to pick just about the time the frost begins to thin the foliage visibly on the trees. Certain varieties. Spy in particular, are left hanging late, even after the leaves have mostly fallen and until night frosts are decidedly sharp. Fameuse and apples of that type require to be picked relatively earl)'. When they begin to fall from the trees picking time has come. The poorer specimens naturall}^ fall earliest from trees of all varieties, and by watching 46 l-KllT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING the windfalls the orchardist can tell better than in any other way when the picking is beginning to be pressing. II. PICKING RECEPTACLES Strawberries are usually picked into the quart boxes in which they are shipped. In case they are to be sorted the quart cups may still be used for picking. Six or eight of these are held in a carrier, and a carrier is given to each picker. Raspberries, black- berries, gooseberries, currants, etc., are commonly handled in much the same way. However, all such berries as are solid enough to bear handling and some pouring may be picked into anj^ convenient basket, and are then transferred to the shipping packages at the sorting table or in the packing shed. Cherries, peaches, and plums are either picked directly into the shipping packages, or are put into convenient baskets and brought to the .sorting table. Whether a man adopts the one plan or the other depends largely on the help he has in picking. If the fruit runs fairly even and the pickers are competent to do the grading, the two operations can usually be advantageously com- bined. In case the pickers can not be trusted to grade and pack the fruit, it is evident that the pickers' packages must be delivered at a sorting table, where the fruit is graded and repacked. Apples are always picked clean off the tree as the work goes on, except in case of summer apples, which should be harv^ested in successive pickings. Some pickers prefer to pick into a half -bushel basket, which should be lined with burlap or sacking to prevent bruising the fruit. Other pickers prefer to u.se a .sack PICKING 47 which is slung o\-er the shoulders. When baskets are used the bails are provided with stout bent iron hooks, something like a letter S, except that the lower curl is closed about the basket handle to keep it from coming off. The upper crook is made large enough to go over an ordinary branch, and this allows the picker to hang his basket securely within his reach, while he works among the branches with both hands. Ropes or straps are usually provided for letting the baskets down from the trees and pulling them up again. Some apple growers pour the fruit from the picking baskets directly upon the sorting table, packing the apples immediately. Others put the fruit in piles or windrows on the ground to be handled later. Still others empty the fruit temporarily into barrels, which are hauled to the packing shed, where the grading and packing are done at convenience. Each man should adopt that method which best suits his circumstances. Aside from personal preference and local convenience, one way is just as good as the other. III. STEMS ON OR OFF Some fruits are to be picked with stems attached, others are taken without the stems. The reasons which make the one method or the other desirable in each case vary considerably. Cherries and plums are picked with the stems for two reasons: first, the re- moval of the stem allows the juice to escape, moisten- ing the package, and allowing decay to begin; and, second, the stems help to pack the fruit safely into the basket or cup. The stems act like so much excelsior or other packing material, preventing the soft fruits 48 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING from squeezing one against the other. Apples are picked with stems on largely for the sake of looks, but partly also because the removal of the stem may give a chance for decay to begin. The following schedule shows which fruits are usually picked with stems on and those which are usually removed from the stem. . There are some ex- ceptions to this classification, but they are local and unimportant: Picked with stems on Picked with stems Strawberry Plum Raspberry Gooseberry Pear Peach Currant Apple Apricot Grape Quince Blueberry Cherry Persimmon Juneberry IV. CONVENIENCES AND INCONVENIENCES In all the European books on horticulture, and consequently in all the early American works, there are described various fruit pickers. These usually consist of long poles surmounted with some contriv- ance for pinching, twisting, or cutting off the fruit, and with a receptacle for catching it. Such things are merely curiosities on a practical modern fruit farm. There is no need to describe any of them here. Picking shears are used in gathering grapes. The form most popular in this country is here illustrated. These can be bought of any deal- ii(i. 7— PICKING SHEARS FOR GRAPES ^^ "^ liorticultural AND OTHER FRUITS suppHcs, and cost PICKING 49 about 75 cents to $i.oo at retail. Another pair of scissors, somewhat different, and also shown in the illustration, is used for trimming the bunches of grapes when they are packed into the baskets for market. Similar .scissors can be advantageously employed in picking currants when they are to be nicely packed for a good market. Occasionally one will find illu.strated and described some so-called fruit-picking machines. For the most part these are even less worthy of description than the pole-pickers just referred to. They are usually some kind of a mechanical compromise between shaking the KIG. 8 — SHEARS FOR TRIMMING FRUIT fruit off the tree and picking it by hand. The typical fruit-picking machine consists of a considerable spread of canvas stretched on a frame and mounted on a wheelbarrow. The canvas is arranged somewhat in the form of a broad-flaring funnel. The apples, or pears, or plums are shaken onto this canvas and roll toward the center, where there is sometimes a hole through which they pass into a basket. The use of such machines is to be strongly deprecated. The only way to pick fruit is by hand. Certain exceptions should be made to this rule for fruit picked for canning factories and drying houses. Mechanical pickers may 50 FRUIT HAKVHSTING, STORING, INIARKETINO ■A HANDY HOME-MADE ORCHARD WAGON be used to advantage in this work, but for the most part they have not been found very desirable. It may be said in passing that it is still the practice in certain belated neighborhoods to gather fruit by shaking it off the trees and picking it up from the ground. There is no need of arguing against such a way of doing things. As soon as this fruit is taken to the open market the fruit buyer will furnish the most emphatic of arguments against it. Such fruit will not ship, will not keep, and will not .sell. It is fit only for immediate home consumption or for .sale in remote country markets where there is no business in fruits. In picking tree fruits ladders of some sort are usually desirable or necessary. For trees of moderate size, such as most plums and peaches, a tall, light step-ladder is usually best and most convenient. This should be made with three legs, and not with four, as 51 step-ladders are usually made. A three-legged ladder will stand almost anywhere it is put, whereas a four- legged ladder will stand firmly, hardly anywhere in the field. For tall trees a light ladder made in the ordinary fashion is better than a step-ladder. This can be leaned against the branches on the outside of the tree. A low wagon with the trucks arranged to turn shorth' is ver>' desirable in handling all sorts of fruit in the field. It is valuable in the strawberry field and indispensable in the orchard. The low trucks ad- vertised in agricultural papers are specially suited to this sort of work. A good substitute made from the trucks of an abandoned horse power is shown in Fig. 9. Another way of making up a handy wagon for handling fruit is shown in Fig. 10. Any handy man about the farm can readily arrange something of this sort. I have seen an old-fashioned stone-boat used to great advantage in hauling in apple barrels from the orchard. FIG. 10 — 'OKCHAKD WAGON MADE U.N OKUINAKY WAGON TRUCKS 52 FRUIT HARVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING V. MANAGING PICKERS The management of pickers sometimes becomes a serious and complicated problem, particularly in han- dling such fruits as strawberries, cranberries, etc. In neighborhoods where fruit is grown extensively these methods have been pretty well worked out, and in many instances have become matters of custom. There are many schemes in use, but they may all be reduced to three general forms, somewhat as follows : I . The day-book system. — In following this method, the poorest one of all, the proprietor, over- seer, or foreman merely keeps a memorandum in his day-book, showing what each picker has done. Each picker's name is written at the top of the page, and the successive days' pickings are entered below. A record then takes some such simple form as this : SARAH FORBES May 20 15 quarts 21 21 " 23 35 24 30 25 40 26 ....... 17 " 15S quarts Where less than a dozen pickers are employed, where the same pickers return day after day, and where payment is made as often as once a week, this system may be satisfactory. Pickers are always prone to be dissatisfied with the account kept by the fore- man, however, so that some system which throws the responsibility for errors more upon the picker himself, 53 S A X A S-^ iLioN, N. Y. -^ia S25Z525Z5Z525Z52515S KIG. II — I'ICKER S CHECK while at the same time protecting the employer, is generally preferable. 2. The check system. — Following this method the foreman issues a check to _„«^,__,_--,_--__,, each picker for the number of Q| _ . OOTV quarts, baskets, or other packages picked. The check is exchanged for the baskets, as soon as the}' are picked, at the moment when they are delivered to the foreman. This check is commonly printed essentially in the form shown in Fig. 1 1 , which was engraved from a picker's check used on a New York strawberry farm. The figure shows the number of quarts picked, and the foreman has tickets bearing various numbers, such as are likely to be needed. On pay day these checks are delivered b}- the picker and redeemed by the employer. 3. The punch-card system. — This is probably, all things considered, the best method in general use. \ ^ \ ^ \ ^ \ ^ \ :>. \ ^ \ ^ \■^ I I 1 I I I 1 h 1 I I I I I I I 1 I 1 I 1 I I BERRY PICKERS TALLY TICKET. Strawberry Hill, Mexico, N. Y.,- -.J89..... I will pay on demand in easA, at the rale oj. cents - for QEORQE A. DAVIS. per quart, to picking berries in nice order. ROW* ABSIQNC 2 I 2 I 2 I 2 I 2 I 2 I 2 i 2 I I4l4r4l4l4l4l4l4l4l4l4l4 IIG. 12 — DAVlb I'UNCll C.VRD 54 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Each picker is provided with a printed punch card, which is usually either written with the picker's name or punched with his number. Along the margins of the card various numbers are printed, and these are punched with a conductor's punch by the foreman as the baskets are delivered. Each picker retains his own punch card all the while, and is solely responsible Strawberry Bill Fruit Farm Berry Ticket. I agree to pay at end of season to the picker boee number appears hereon, siibject to, Rales 1 Back, the amouiit punched out on-thia card. No Transfer. GEO. A. DAVIS, Pro. a z: ^ N^ N^ !S 5 «, £S S » ■g - ~ — _ 0 .- ^ i? r'. « ■■ , S s O n ' -^ j 5S ^ - 8 s - S s ■O y S 8 5 y FIG. 13 — ANOTHER FORM OK PUNCH CARD USED BY MR. DAVIS for it. In some fields it is customary to issue a fresh card every morning. In other places the cards and the work are of such a nature that the same card will record the pickings for several days or for a whole week. Without presuming to offer any new scheme, we may point out that none of these systems is perfect. If some device could be arranged whereby the foreman and the picker could quickly secure duplicate records of each parcel of fruit delivered it would come nearer the ideal system. Something like a railway train con- ductor's cash-fare ticket might answer. This would 55 require to be furnished with three sets of numbers: one to give the picker's number, one for the date, and one for the number of quarts or baskets deHvered. This would be somewhat compHcated, since it would require three punchings and the removal of the picker's duplicate slip for each delivery of packages. Still this system might be adapted to suit certain circumstances very nicel}-. It ought to be remarked that frequent paj^ days f|l|l|l|f|l|l finni SIMPSON'S IMPROVED TALLY SYSTEM For Tallying Berries, Hops, M;fl(, Etc GEO.W.SIMPSON, 178 E. fin HSr., OSWEGO, N.Y. .*\z ilMl'SON S PUNCH CARD are v^ery desirable, no matter what system of accounting is followed. The opportunities for losing tickets or for making various mistakes are so numerous that every occasion should be taken for preventing such difficulties. With pay day coming as often as once a week mistakes can be more easily discovered and recti- fied. If payment can be made at the end of every day it is still better. The memory of the foreman and of the picker, taken jointly, is worth something then. Apple pickers usually work by the day, and peach and plum pickers often do. In such circumstances 56 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING the foreman merelj' keeps account of the time. Apples are sometimes picked by the barrel, however, and in that case it is best simply to furnish each picker with a piece of chalk, directing him to mark his number on each barrel picked. When the barrels are hauled into the packing or storage shed the foreman's account can then be made up from the numbers. When apples or pears are picked by the bushel, by the basket, or in any similar way, the record may best be kept by one of the systems described above. In the management of pickers it will be found of the utmost importance to assign each one to a given row or tree, and require him to pick it clean. All sorts of serious difficulties arise if the least neglect of this precaution is allowed. PART THREE Grading and Packing GRADING AND PACKING It would be hard to over-emphasize the importance of grading fruit for market. Grading is something which can not be overdone. The more rigid the gra- ding the better it pays. Careless and unthoughtful fruit men often think that they can not afford to take great pains in sorting, except they secure thereby an extra select grade of fruit for which they can com- mand a fancy price. Because apples were abundant and low in price in 1896 many growers thought they could not afford to sort them carefully ; but in every case events proved that the man who most rigidly graded his apples was the only one who made any- thing from his sales. I have heard Mr. J. H. Hale give his experience in handling muskmelons. He had some growing in his Georgia peach orchards when they were a drug in the northern markets ; yet by throwing away three-quar- ters of the entire crop he was able to realize a hand- some profit out of the other one- fourth, consisting only of fancy melons. A shrewd student of mine who earned his wa}^ through college made a part of his money by strawberr>^ growing. He sold his berries at home in a little country village. When strawberries were selling at twelve and a half cents a quart he 59 6o KRUIT HAKVKSTING, STORING, MAKKETING sorted liis product into two j;radcs, and sold the first grade — something over half the crop — at twenty cents; a quart, and the second grade at ten cents. This left him a handsome margin for his sorting. I. THE PRACTICE OF GRADING Most fruit is practically unsaleable without sorting, and the better it is sorted the better it .sells. Frequently the sorting of fruit consists merely in removing unmarketable specimens. It is seldom prac- ticable to divide a picking of strawberries, berry by berry, into two grades, as my student friend did it, and I never knew of blackberries or gooseberries being picked over by hand in that way. Bad speci- mens should always be removed, however, and the best way to do this is not to pick them. Grapes are generally .sorted (at least, for the better class of trade), the work being done in the packing shed when the fruit is put into the baskets. A pair of slim scissors, made for the purpose, is used, and all bad or broken berries are trimmed out. Most fruits which are handled on a large .scale, such as apples, pears, peaches, oranges, etc., are sub- jected to a more complicated process of grading. Two or three, or even four or five, grades are made from the crop from the same trees. It is customary to divide apples, for example, into first grade (often called 'selects"), second grade (usually called "firsts," "XX," or even "XXX,"), and culls (which in years of scarcity go to market as "sec- onds " ) . GRADING AND PACKING 6l II. WHAT IS FIRST-GRADE FRUIT? Occasionally some one gets up an argument over what should constitute a first-grade apple, peach, or pear ; and from time to time some well-meaning com- mittee of some horticultural society seeks to define specimens of the first, second, and third grade. In the market sense, however, such a thing as a first-grade apple or peach does not exist. The simple reason is that no marketman buys a single apple or peach. In the fruit market fruit is handled only in the original packages. First-grade apples means a package of apples of the first quality ; but a single apple which would be properly placed in one package of first-class apples might be below standard in another package of first-class apples. It would be possible to take two packages of first-grade apples, and simply by mixing them to make two packages of second-grade apples. In the same way it is possible, by careful grading, sometimes to make two barrels of first-grade apples out of two barrels of seconds. I am assured that many commission men make good profits out of the careless customers by doing just such things as these. In other words, the terms "select," " first grade," " second grade," etc., are entirely relative. They do not refer to any absolute qualities of size, form, or color. The National Apple Shippers' Association, however, has adopted a definition for the different grades.* Even this definition, it will be seen, is largely * The rules for the grading of apples, as adopted by the National Apple Shippers' Association in a resolution passed August 3, 1900, are as follows: " The standard for size for No. 1 apples shall not be less than 2j^ inches 62 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING relative, and furnishes onl^' an apparent contradiction of the generahzation here set forth. Three considerations, all more or less relative, chiefly govern the grading of fruit. These are (i) uniformity, (2) freedom from injury, (3) agreement with the mark. First-grade fruit must be uniform in size, color, and shape. Uniformity in size is far more important than mere bigness — in fact, overgrown fruits are rarely in demand. This is why an apple which would be admitted to the first grade in one lot would have to go with the second grade in another lot. This requirement of uniformity is the one chiefly to be considered in handling fruit. Until one learns to disregard the individual specimen and look at the package as a whole he is not competent to grade fruit. Fruit of the first grade (or "selects") must also be free from bruises, insect injuries, and all other defects. Many persons imagine this to be the princi- pal consideration in sorting; but, important as it is, it stands second alwaj^s to uniformity. Where grading is very careful all injured specimens are excluded from the second grade as well as from the first. For in diameter, and shall include such varieties as the Ben Davis, Willow Twig, Baldwin, Greening, and other varieties kindred in size. The standard for such varieties as Romanite, Russet, Winesap, Jonathan, Missouri Pippin, and other varieties kindred in size shall not be less than 2}^ inches. And, further. No. i apples shall be at time of packing prac- tically free from the action of worms, defacement of .surface, or breaking of skin; shall be hand-picked from the tree, a bright and normal color, and shapely form. " No. 2 apples .shall be hand-picked from the tree; shall not be smaller than 2% inches in diameter. The .skin must not be broken or the apple bruised. This grade must be faced and packed with as much care as No. i fruit." GRADING AND PACKING 63 instance, some successful apple shippers make four grades, about as follows: 1. ' ' Selects. ' ' — Extra fine specimens only ; uniform in size, color, and form, and without blemish. 2. ''Firsts.'' — Good fruits, but not so fine as "selects"; uniform in size, color and form, and prac- tically free from scab, insect injury, or other defect. 3. ^^ Seconds.^' — Mostly good, eatable fruit, fairly uniform, and not conspicuously marked by insect, fungus, or other damage. 4. " Culls.'' — These usually go to the cider-mill, the dry-house, or the cattle-pen. First-grade fruit, furthermore, must be true to the mark on the package. If the mark specifies Elberta the peaches inside mu.st be Elbertas, and must look like Elbertas. They must conform to the accepted type of the variety named. Burbank and Chabot plums may be of the same size, and they may look very much alike, but they must not be mixed together; and a basket of Burbanks must not be labeled Chabot. III. THE DESIGNATION OF GRADES The terms by which the various grades of fruit are designated are not well fixed nor generally under- stood ; in fact, the very opposite is the case. Mr. A. W. Grindley, agent of the Canadian government in Liverpool, tells me that the marks which appear on fruit barrels shipped there from Canada and the United States are of the most diverse and confusing nature. First-quality fruit may be marked .simply "XX," or it may be "XXX," or "XXXX," or even more; 64 FRUIT HAKVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING and Mr. Grindley assures me that he saw one consign- ment of Canadian apples arrive on the Liverpool docks marked with a row of eighteen X"s — and they weren't ver}- good apples either ! It is customary to call the first grade of all sorts of fruit "select," "extra," or "extra select," or to brand it with as many X's as the shipper sees fit. There is even less agreement in the use of the X's, however, than in the use of the terms just mentioned. The next grade below " select," " extra," or " extra select," is usually called " firsts," " A i," or is desig- nated by one or two X's less than the " selects " of the same shipper. The third-grade fruit may go into the market marked " seconds," but it is more likely to be marked " X " or " XX " ; or if the second grade is marked " A i "" the third grade is simply " i." Some attempt has recently been made in Canada to secure a uniform system of grading and marking, es- peciall}' of fruit for export. The system of marks proposed by the Ontario Fruit Growers' Association is as follows: * (i) X A No. I. Sound apples or pears of uni- formly large size and high color for the variety named, of normal form; at least ninety per cent free from worm holes, scabs, or other defects. (2) A No. I. Sound apples or pears of nearly uniform size and good color for the variety named, of normal form; at least ninety per cent free from worm holes, scabs, or other defects. (3) No. I. Sound apples or pears of fairly' uni- * The law recently passed by the Canadian Parliament covering this point is given in full in the Appendix. GRADING AND PACKING 65 form size; at least eighty per cent free from worm holes, scabs, or other defects. (4) No. 2. Apples or pears that are disqualified from being classed under an)' of the aforementioned grades, but which are useful for culinary purposes, and not less than two inches in diameter. IV. SORTING TABLES For grading fruits some kind of a sorting table is usually best. The size and character of this sorting KIG. 15 — APPLE SORTING TABLE. table are determined by the kind and quantity of fruit to be handled, and somewhat by other and more local circumstances. The larger the package to be filled the larger the table should be. As a general rule, subject to some exceptions, it may be said that the sorting table should be large enough to hold at once, and to display within reach of the man who grades, enough fruit to fill three packages. An apple sorting table, for instance, should be roomy enough so that 66 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING three barrels of apples can be spread out on it at once. Under no circumstances should it hold less than two barrels. No man can make even grades with le.ss fruit before him, especially wdien there is nuich varia- tion in the stock handled. For sorting grapes, peaches, and plums a considerably smaller table will do. If only one person is employed at this part of the work, any small table may be u.sed with a strip two to four inches high running round to keep the fruit from rolling off. If a large quantity of fruit is to be handled, a long running table is demanded. This may conveniently slope slightly toward the sorters. The sorters may stand or be seated in a row at one side of this running table, while the fruit and pack- ages are delivered to them from the other side. The ingenuity of the manager must be chiefly depended on to make a sorting table to suit the par- ticular circumstances of any time and place ; but the fact must not be overlooked that a good sorting table, properly adapted to the work in hand, is one of the most efficient helps to economical and successful fruit handling. V. GOOD JUDGMENT IN GRADING The work of grading naturally requires good judg- ment based on long experience. The man who grades the fruit occupies the most responsible position in the organization of the fruit farm, next to the manager himself. On fruit plantations of moderate size the manager often does the grading wuth his own hands. For the sake of the .supreme requirement — uniformity — it is evidently desirable also that the work of grading GRADING AND PACKING 67 shall come as nearh' as possible under the e5'e of a single person. If one man can handle all the fruit the sorting should be entrusted to him alone, and he should be as nearly an expert as can be found. Under any circumstances as few graders should be employed as possible. It is especially undesirable to have a picking gang of five or six persons who are always " trading jobs " with one another. When large quantities of fruit are to be handled into small packages girls are often employed. This is done for cheapness' sake, and may or may not result in poorer grading. Girls are usually hired to sort and pack grapes, and Mr. Hale employs girls for packing peaches. In all such cases, of course, the packing is done under the immediate supervision of an experi- enced foreman, who sees that the grading is properly attended to. Grading by machinery has been resorted to in some cases, especially with apples and peaches, and mechan- ical graders are occasionallj- offered for sale. They are not to be recommended, however. Grading is chiefl}^ a matter of judgment, and a machine has no judgment. VI. FII.I,ING THE PACKAGE The manner in which the fruit is put into the package is a matter of some consequence. The per- fect arrangement of California fruits into the packages does much to make the goods attractive and to expe- dite sales. Even strawberry and blackberry boxes may be advantageously faced if a good grade of fruit is . going to a good market. Apples in this country are habitually faced at 68 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING both ends of the barrel. The empty barrel is placed head down in front of the packer. A layer of good specimens is placed in concentric rings, stem end down, on this reversed head, and a second faced layer is placed on top of this. Some careful packers face three layers, but this is hardly necessary. After the two facing layers are in position, the barrel is filled nearly full by pouring in the sorted fruit from baskets, or by letting the apples roll over a padded curtain or sleeve from the sorting table. Finally two more layers of good specimens are laid on the top by hand. These are placed in concentric rings and faced toward the opposite head (in this case the bottom) of the barrel. The last layer should protrude about two or three inches, this amount being taken up by the pres- sure when the head is put on. The head is then put on top of the apples either with or without a paper heading inside (see under *' Fruit Package," Part IV.), and is forced down into place with a suitable press. This pressure is so great that the apples on the face are considerably bruised at times; but this seldom results in any loss, whereas insufficient pressure is often the source of serious damage to the fruit during shipment. The apples are apt to shrink measurably, either by trans- piration of water or by incipient decay, and this shrinkage immediately leaves the fruit loose in the barrel. If there is the slightest looseness during ship- ment, or when the barrels are handled, the apples shake about in the barrel, and are quickly bruised to their permanent injury — sometimes till they are totally spoiled for use. GRADING AND PACKING 69 Various barrel presses are in use for bringing the heads down into the chimes. The best and most popular form is undoubtedly the lever press shown in Fig. 16. A screw press (Fig. 17) is sometimes used, but is awkward and undesirable. Pears are handled in pretty much the same way as apples are, except that they are not so often packed in barrels. When they go into barrels, however, the V FIG. 16 — ORDINARY LEVER PRESS FOR APPLE BARREL FIG. 17 — SCREW PRESS FOR BARRELS treatment is just the same as for apples, and when they go into boxes it is not much different. The use of boxes will be discussed further in the next chapter. The best peaches are packed one by one into baskets, and the top layers are carefully faced, the apex of each fruit being laid obliquely upward. The same order of packing is followed, whether the peaches are wrapped or not. Peaches of medium or inferior quality are not handled a fruit at a time. Especially in Delaware and Maryland, where the deep baskets are used, the fruit is picked or poured into the basket, only 70 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING the top layer or two being faced. Sometimes even this small attempt at facing is omitted. Large and fancy plums are usually sold at the retail fruit stands in small quantities for eating out of hand. They are therefore packed in small boxes or baskets, and may or may not be wrapped. In either case they are faced. First quality plums not intended for the limited trade of the fancy fruit stands are packed into baskets, the top layer being sometimes faced. If the plums are large and attractive in appear- ance the facing is especially desirable. Small and dull colored plums gain little b>- being faced. Most other fruits of the temperate regions, when sent to the market in the fresh state, are not packed according to any recognized system. Each shipper follows his own ideas or the demands of his own market. This statement, however, refers only to methods of packing. The style of package is more a matter of prescription, and is more generally estab- lished by custom. We shall proceed to this important subject with the next chapter. PART FOUR The Fruit Package THE FRUIT PACKAGE If there is one thing more than an3- other pecuHar to the American fruit business, it is the American fruit package. Growers and shippers seldom reahze this fact, and almost never grasp the full significance of it. I. THE AMERICAN FRUIT PACKAGE The characteristics of the American fruit package are cheapness, neatness, lightness, and uniformity. The packages must be cheap, because they are nearly always given away with the contents. The use of the gift package is elsewhere pointed out to be peculiar to the American trade. The American package is the neatest and most alluring that can be devised, for its attractiveness is largely depended on to sell the fruit. It is light and easily handled, a quality required when fruit is shipped in large quantities or when the pack- ages themselves are manufactured and shipped by thousands. The American package is the only one which lays any claim to uniformity, and this claim is asserted with some reason. There are still many "short " barrels in the apple trade, and there is much complaint, partly legitimate, of false bottoms in straw- berry boxes, and the "five-pound" grape basket sometimes holds a scant four pounds of fruit; yet after allowing for all the fully understood short pack- ages, and for all intentional fraud, it is still true that 73 /4 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING the American fruit packages are uniform to a most remarkable degree. There is much still to be done in securing honest iniiformity of package, and the laws which have been passed in a few states * are efforts in the right direc- tion. For the most part, however, the conditions in the fruit market must be depended on to secure proper packing in honest packages. The commission man's returns are more influential with the average fruit grower than the laws of the state. Legislation in these matters is depended on in Canada to a much greater extent than in the United States. Whether it is any more effective toward the ends sought may be fairly doubted. There are still many different kinds of packages in the American trade, a majority of which will be suppressed, perhaps, in the future evolution of our fruit industries. Those fruits which are most largely grown and shipped have the fewest styles of packages. Strawberries always come in quart boxes, crated. Apples practically always come in barrels. There are, thus, a number of recognized standard packages, the most important of which are as follows: The apple bar- rel, the strawberry box, the grape ba.sket, the Dela- ware peach basket, and the Michigan peach basket. II. THE APPLE BARREL The standard apple barrel in the United States is practically the same as the ordinary flour barrel. In fact, emptied flour barrels are extensively used for packing apples. The apple barrel specified by the * See Appendix. THE FRUIT PACKAGE 75 American Apple Shippers' Association has the follow- ing dimensions: Staves, 28 Hj inches; head, 17^ inches; circumference in the middle, 64 inches. This barrel holds one hundred quarts, and is known as the " 100- quart barrel. ' ' In Nova Scotia, where the apple growers are, to some extent, a law unto themselves, a sliglitl>^ differ- ent barrel is used. The regulation dimensions are: Head, 17J/2 inches; bilge, 19 inches; stave, 29 inches. This gives a long barrel with a comparatively straight vStave. When such a barrel is placed on its side it rests on the hoops and lies much more securely than the barrel of greater relative bilge. This is a very important matter in shipping apples by steamer, as Canadian apples are largel}^ shipped to Europe. A part of Nova Scotia's considerable success in the exportation of apples is due to the use of this barrel. Apple barrels are seldom bought ready built, except when empty flour barrels are used. The usual prac- tice is to buy the staves, heads, and hoops at the saw- mills, and to have the barrels put together at a local cooper shop. Such a shop is usually to be found in every apple growing neighborhood doing business for several small growers. Large producers of apples commonly have their own coopering rooms. Here they make up their own barrels during rainy days, or else they have some itinerant cooper to come in and make them up when needed. The cost of apple barrels varies from $15 to $30 the hundred. For the last tw^o years it has been about $25 a hundred for good barrels. The cost is about the 76 FKUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING same whether flour barrels are bought or stock secured in the knock-down and put up by a cooper. As has already been remarked, empty flour barrels are often used for packing apples. When strong, fresh barrels are chosen and thoroughly cleaned there is little or no objection to their use ; but the least carelessness in this respect brings loss to the grower. When a buj'er sees an old, stained, battered barrel he immediately rates the contents as poor, and refuses to FIG. l8 — CARDBOAKD BARREL HEAD LININGS pay anything but the minimum price. When a barrel is opened and the apples are found half covered with the flour which was needlessly left clinging in the chimes, the lot is once more relegated to the second class. It is the simplest matter in the world to lose twice the price of a good barrel in this way. Good fruit deser\'es a good package, and poor fruit will not sell without it. Certain small accessories are sometimes used with the apple barrel, though there is no uniformity in this matter. The most usual device is a paper reinforce- ment for the head, which protects the fruit somewhat from bruising when the head is pressed in and which THE FRUIT PACKAGE 77 takes up a certain amount of moisture to the advan- tage of the fruit. These false heads are sometimes made of old newspapers deftly folded. More often they are bought ready cut from heavy cardboard, A patented cushion head of corrugated paper, shown in Fig. i8, is manufactured by Frank B. Read, of New York and Philadelphia. III. BERRY PACKAGES Strawberries are always shipped in small boxes or cups, holding usually one quart each, but occasionally KIG. 19 — THE USUAL BERRY BASKEl only a pint. (In Europe, I am told, berries are often sent to market in tubs, kegs, and such like utensils. It makes an American laugh just to hear of it.) These cups or boxes are made in various forms, some of the more usual being shown herewith — Figs. 19 and 20. There is a general tendency toward the square box. The oblong, broken -cornered box is going rapidly out of fashion, and properly so. These boxes are usually made of wood veneer, but occasion- 78 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKKTING ally of paper. The paper box may become popular in the future, but it seems hardly probable. The quart boxes are always shipped in crates, each crate holding twelve, sixteen, twenty-four, thirty-six, FIG. 20 — SQUARE BERRY BASKET AND CRATE FIG. 21 — BERRV CRATE — COMMON FORM or forty-eight quart boxes. Larger sizes seem to be comparatively more popular southward, especially in the Baltimore market, while comparatively smaller sizes are preferred northward. The thirty-two quart crate is probably most common, and the sixteen, twenty-four, and thirty-two quart crates are vastly in THE FRUIT PACKAGE 79 the majority. L,arger or smaller sizes are the excep- tion. These crates are strongly made of wood, sawed in strips as light as is compatible with strength, and firmly nailed together. Sometimes they are given metal bindings at the corners. The crates are fre- quently returned to the grower when shipped within a distance where express companies return empties free. Otherwise they become gift packages, just as grape baskets or plum boxes are. Raspberries, blackberries, dewberries (commonly sold as blackberries), gooseberries, and currants are nearly always sold in the same boxes and crates used for strawberries. IV. THE GRAPE BASKET Two standard packages are in use for grapes, the only difference between them being in point of size. One is the five- pound basket, the other the ten- pound basket. The ten - pound baskets usually hold only a trifle over eight pounds of fruit, and the five -pound bas- kets usually onl}- a little over four pounds; but as this is rather commonly understood, no one is greatly deceived. Besides, grapes are always retailed b\- the basket, not by the pound. ■HE URAl'E UAiiKJiT 8o FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The grape basket is made of thin wood veneer, with a hght wood binding at top and bottom. It has a light w^ooden cover which is fastened on \sdth a special staple. It has a bail either of wood or of wire. There are comparatively few variations in the form of this package. The grape basket is frequently used for other fruits, particularly for plums. It is sometimes used for tomatoes, occasionally for pears, infrequently for persimmons, gooseberries, and currants, and I have even seen it used for fancy baking potatoes. It is the most generally convenient and handy package ever devised, and it is net at all strange that it should be put to a variety of uses. V. PEACH PACKAGES I can remember when peaches were commonly shipped in slat crates, the usual form being made with two compartments, each compartment holding ap- proximately a peck of fruit. This package has now been almost entirely abandoned for peaches, though a similar crate is still in use for a variety of the lesser fruits, being more commonly filled FIG. 23- DELAWARE PEACH ^^^-^ pears, applcs, peaches, BASKET , . , , plums, qumces, or tomatoes. But the peach business has taken up two strangely different baskets, the Delaware ba.sket and the Mich- igan or Georgia basket. Recently a third style of THE FRUIT PACKAGE 8l package, the "six-basket carrier," has been coming into vogue. The Delaware basket is in the form of the inverted frustum of a cone. It is made of wood splints, and sometimes has a splint cover. At other times the package is covered simply with mosquito netting or other cloth. This is more often the case when this basket is used for sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, spinach, and other vegetables, as it frequently is. The Delaware basket comes in various sizes, one bushel, one-third bushel, and half bushel, with various ' ' short ' ' sizes between. In New Jersey the size of this package has been the subject of legislation.* The splint star cover, as shown in Fig. 24, is sometimes used for this basket, but not commonly, in shipping peaches from Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. The Michigan peach basket, which is essentially the same as the Georgia peach basket, is shown in Fig. 25. This is much like the standard grape basket, the chief difference being in the matter of the cover. * See Appendix. KIG. 24 — WIDE SLAT DELAWARE BASKET WITH SPLINT COVER 82 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The peach basket cover is made of slats nailed to curv^ed supports at either end. This package varies somewhat in size, but the usual sizes are pecks and fifth-bushels. The third and newest form of peach package is the KIG. 25— MICHIGAN I'EACIl BASKET I-IG. 26 — SIX-BASKET CAKRIER six-basket carrier. This carrier is merely a neat slat crate, of much the .same form as the strawberry crate, and ju.st large enough to hold the six small wood veneer baskets. These baskets hold approximatel}' a /\ half peck, so that the six -basket carrier handles about THE FRUIT PACKAGR 83 three-fourths of a ])u.shel of fruit. The baskets fit into the carrier in two layers, one above and one below, with a thin slat false staging between to prevent the bruising of the lower tier. This makes an extremely neat and convenient package, and one which has been FIG. 27 CARRIER, CHEAPER FORM used with considerable success by shippers of fanc}^ peaches. It is well suited to good grades of other fruits, such as plums, apricots, persimmons, hothouse tomatoes, etc. During the present season, 1901, Mr. J. H. Hale has been using this same carrier with nine shallower baskets for shipping plums. It is naturally a package for select grades only, and is not to be recommended for cheap stock. VI. APPLES IN BOXES There is a strong tendency among progressive fruit growers at the present time to offer fancy apples in packages smaller and more attractive than the stand- ard apple barrel. Baskets have sometimes been em- ployed, but the general effort seems to reach toward some kind of box. 84 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The use of some such small, convenient, and at- tractive package for fancy apples is amply justified on theoretical grounds, and its adoption is only a question of time and of evolution in the trade. Already some sellers have been successful with small packages, and the more unsatisfactory experience of other shippers is usually fairly attributable to the conser\^atism of the FIG. 28— MR. shepherd's APPLE BOX market. It takes a while for any new thing to become established, however meritorious it may be. Commis- sion men generally have held out against the small package for apples, and their influence is naturally great. One of the best, and certainly the most successful, apple box of which I know is the one used by Mr. R. W. vShepherd, of Montreal, for the fancy export THE FRUIT PACKAGE 85 trade. This box, shown in Fig. 28, is solidly built of wood in sizes computed to fit the apples. Each case holds from one hundred and ninetj^-six to two hundred and twenty-four apples, according to size of the fruit. Inside the box pasteboard partitions are used, precisely like those commonly found in egg cases, except, of course, that the pasteboard compartments are larger. These cases cost about forty cents each in KIG. 29 WOOI.VERTON S APPLE BOX quantity, and weigh sixty to seventy-five pounds each when filled. Mr. Shepherd uses these exclu- sively for his fancy export trade, and ships in them only the best fruit of a few special varieties, chiefly Fameuse, Mcintosh, and St. Lawrence, and these only on order. Another apple box, used by Mr. L. Woolverton, of Grimsby, Ontario, is shown in Fig. 29. This box holds a bushel, and will carry one hundred and twenty- eight apples of approximately two and one-half inches diameter. Each specimen is wrapped in paper. Mr. 86 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Woolverton, as the result of ten years' experience, finds this box useful for the exportation of fancy apples, but does not believe it can be profitably adopted for connnon stock or for local market. VII. OTHER FRUITS AND PACKAGES Various other packages are in use for one and another purpose. One of the most convenient and useful is the round splint basket with handles at FIG. 30 — Sl'LINT BUSHEL BASKET the sides, as shown in Fig. 30. This basket comes principally in two sizes, bu.shel and half bushel. The half bushel is sometimes used for peaches, quinces, or tomatoes, and perhaps also for apples. The larger size is used for apples, potatoes, etc. This is a handy basket for farm use and may be adapted to various fruits in special circumstances. It is not recognized as standard for anything, however. THE FRUIT PACKAGE 87 The slat crate, Fig. 31, has already been referred to as formerly much used for peaches. It is still used, mainly by small shippers, for man 3- fruits, such as peaches, pears, apples, quinces, and more often for KIG. 31— SLAT CRATE USED KUK VAKlUUb fKUlTii AND VEGETABLES FIG. 32— SMALL BOX FOR FANCY FRUITS AND VEGETABLES vegetables, such as beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, etc. \'arious sizes and modifications of the slat crate are extensively used by southern truckers, from Norfolk down the coast, for shipping cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, and all sorts of vegetables. 88 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING VIII. SUMMARY OF PACKAGES The various packages chiefly used in shipping fruits are arranged in the following tabulation, which also shows the approximate cost. Fruit Apple Peach Pear Package f Barrel, loo quarts, or 3 bushels I Box, various sizes . j Slat crate, mostly half I bushel .... l^ Basket, mostly bushel C Delaware basket I Michigan basket, one-fifth ") bushel 1^ Six-basket carrier . . C Barrel, 3 bushels . . J Half barrel, 1% bushels "1 Boxes and baskets of va 1^ rious kinds. Cost $25 the 100 Variable $4.50 the 100 $1 to $1.25 a (Joz. $2 to $3 the 100 $3 the 100 $7 to $10 the 100. $25 the 100 $15 to $20 the 100 Plum ( Grape basket, 10 pounds ] Six-basket carrier . . $2.50 the 100 $7 to $10 the 100. Cherry f Strawberry quart boxes and crates Quart boxes, $2 to $3 the 1,000 ; i6-quart crates, $5 to $6 the 100 5-pound grape basket. Quince Slat crate, ^3 bushel ;; ^ ;; • . Baskets in various styles Also barrels. $3 the 100 $4.50 the 100 $7 the 100 Berries ^ Quart boxes in crates fQuart boxes, $2 to $3 I the 1,000 ! if)-quart crates, $5 to "j $(> the 100 I 24-quart crates, $7 to L $15 the 100 THE FRUIT PACKAGE 89 IX. WRAPPING FRUITS California fruits, which are in many ways a model to every shipper, frequentl>' come to eastern markets wrapped in tissue paper. Hustling eastern shippers have experimented somewhat extensively along this same line, but, apparently, without having arrived at any very definite conclusion. It may be safely said, however, that only the fanciest grades of fruit will pay for the expense of paper and wrapping. Canadian fruit growers, who send a greater proportion of their products to the European markets, have naturally done relatively more with this matter and have had more positive results. When our export fruit trade reaches greater proportions we shall doubtless do more wrapping in the states. There are already various brands of paper on the market in cut sizes suitable for fruit wrapping. Any grower who is producing a fancy grade of fruit for a fancy market is advised to try wrapping in an experimental way. Others had better let it alone. X. MARKS ON PACKAGES Very much of the grower's success depends on making a reputation for his fruit — much more than is connnonly supposed. The man who ships to the city market frequently imagines that his identity is lost sight of and his responsibility swallowed up in the mixture of all men's products in the commmission house. This ma>' be the case to some extent, but it need not be so at all. If a grower has any expectation of staying in the business and any ambition to make what money he can out of it, it will be much better for 90 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING him to maintain his own responsibihty for his own fruit and get all the credit he can out of it. A few commission men, especially in European markets, object to having a grower's private mark on the package. In this country most dealers welcome such an advertisement from the grower The simplest SuperiorQuaHty Fully Guaranteed HALE'S FRUITS ■'LWavs BEST IN MARKED 5clentiflcally Glij^own • Ripened on the Tre PEACH GROWERS IN THE WORLD ''"JiTofiC»A^O CO. #5^-^- ,,^, ORGI^^ev.ga..,^, e .„uTM,„„BORviVNa. ?o''Rt^^^lH:HALE..or>c''or SAME ALL THROUGH U.C.TOP-U.C. ALL FIG. 33— J HE FAMOUS IIAI.K I.ABEL — ALWAYS I'KIMEI) IN KED, AND PUT ON SELECT GRADES OK FRUIT ONLY way is for the grower to stencil his name and address, or the name of his fruit farm, on each package. I have heard some wise horticulturi.sts recommend the propriet}^ of adopting an appropriate and attractive name for the fruit farm for the .specific purpose of advertising in this way. Some growers u.se a sort of trade-mark. One apple grower of my acquaintance marks his fancy fruit with a crown on each barrel head. When his commission man, who has handled this fruit for years, gets a barrel stenciled with a crowai it goes THK I'RTIT PACKAGE 9' FANCY MELONS FROM THE SAME FELLOW WHO GROWS Juperiop Qualify «.-"> Unifopm Cr HALES Peaches A I /RP" JUNE 15^ ih OCTOBER S^Jl'i/fi f ^cienlTRc-ally Crov >3ame. all through uc.topu call <'IG. 34 — hale's melon lakel- LABEL (above) WITH T -A COMBINATION OF A BLACK IE tSUAL RED LABEL at the fanciest price of the day without further exam- ination. The most noted private mark in this country is the famous red label of Mr. J. H. Hale, of Connecti- cut and Georgia. His device is reproduced (without the red color) in Figs. 33 and 34. It has been worth thousands of dollars to him. This matter of a suitable and effective private mark for the fruit package is one to be seriously considered by every grower. PART FIVE Fruit Storage FRUIT STORAGE Some sort of storage facilities are almost indis- pensable in the management of the fruit business for profit. They allow fruit to be carried over a season t)f glut, and so help the grower, even though the storage be owned by the speculator and operated in his interest. Fruit storage is most useful to the fruit grower,, how^ever, w^hen it is kept in his own posses- sion, or at least within his own management, for it makes him in a greater or less degree independent of the bu3^er and speculator — often remarkably so. It may be safely said that the fruit business can not be conducted on a large scale, except with a few of the more perishable fruits, without adequate provision for storage, either on the grower's ow^n premises or in rented storage rooms. I. REQUIREMENTS The requirements for successful storage of fruits are three : (i) good fruit ; (2) proper handling; (3) reasonable control of temperature in the storage room. We will consider these in order. Quality of the fruit. — There are two rea.sons w'hy poor fruit should never be put in storage. First, it does not keep. The shrinkage and loss are sure to be excessive. Second, the fruit is not worth it. Fruit storage is comparatively expensive business, and poor 95 96 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING fruit will not pay for the extra trouble. The fine stables which the trotting-horse man has for his five- thousand -dollar racers would be wasted if used for the scrub ponies of the Texas ranges. Many men make the mistake of putting inferior fruit into storage; and when they fail, as they inevitabl)' must, they condemn the whole storage business. I have heard some of those men speak in the horticultural societies. Handlhig the fruit. — Two things are usuallj- (though not always) necessary in handling the fruit if success is to be expected in storage. These are: (i) careful sorting and (2) subsequent rest. A few men succeed fairly well in storing apples, grapes, and plums without sorting, or with only par- tial sorting. The only safe rule, however, is to sort all fruit carefully before sending it to the storage room." Wormy and diseased specimens must all be removed. A rotting plum or apple spreads the infection quickly to all the fruits which it touches. This fact is so well supported by wide experience that it need not be argued any further. After the fruit has been picked, sorted, and put into storage, however, it should be left alone. Any further handling will do more damage than good. This rule is almost imperative. Many men think it necessary, or, at least, advisable, to go over fruit in the storage room from time to time and remove decay- ing specimens ; but all experience goes to prove that this is bad practice. Regarding the time when fruit should be picked to be put into storage there is the greatest diversity of FRUIT STORAGE 97 opinion. It is evident that no general rule can be given. Spy apples should ha left on the trees until colored if possible, even though that may keep them there a month after the first frost comes. Most pears, on the other hand, should be picked before fairly ripe, or even while yet green, and should be put into storage to ripen. Peaches and plums should be picked before quite mature. Varieties of apples which drop badly, like Wagener and St. Lawrence, must be picked early, while those which hold on well, like Tolman and Red Canada, are better left later. Practice will evidently vary with variety, locality, and special circumstances. Even with the same trees in the same orchard early picking may be advisable one year and late picking another. Weather conditions throughout the ripening season, and especially at picking time, exercise a very important influence. As nearly as one may make any generalization for apples, it would probably be nearest the truth to say that they should be left on the trees as long as circumstances make it safe for them to be there. For pears one might say that they should be picked and stored as soon as they have attained their full size and are partially colored. Plums, peaches, and similar fruits should be picked as soon as feasible. Grapes, like apples, should be left as late as they safely may be. II. SYSTEMS OF STORAGE There are practically three systems of storage for fruit, differing in the manner in which the temperature is reduced. These are: (i) mechanical refrigeration, (2) ice refrigeration, (3) cooling by ventilation. 98 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORIXC;, MARKETING These are named in the reverse order of their impor- tance, judged merel)- on the basis of their adaptabihty to the needs of tlie fruit grower. I. Mccha)iical refrigeration. — There are various systems of mechanical refrigeration, ])ut the plan of this book makes a consideration of them unnecessary. Mechanical refrigeration undoubtedly furnishes the ideal cold storage, giving the most direct and easy control of temperature, usually at least expense when large quantities are handled, and generally with best results. The expense of installing and maintaining a plant, however, places mechanical refrigeration out of reach of the fruit grower, and makes it a business by itself. Even Judge Wellhouse, "the Apple King," with his hundreds of acres of bearing orchard, finds it better to rent cold storage room than to build a refrig- erating plant of his own. I think I am literally correct in saying that there is not a single fruit grower, com- pany, or association to-day in America maintaining a private storage plant cooled by machinery. The fruit grower is interested in this system of storage, therefore, only indirectly. Space in cold storage compartments is frequently rented by fruit growers, this being usuall>- their sole connection with the business. The only practical questions under these circumstances are: (i) Is this method of storage successful? (2) What does it cost ? In theory mechanically cooled storage ought to be the most successful sort. Practically it does not seem to be conspicuously so. The drawbacks are : first, that refrigerating plants are not constructed primarily FRUIT STORAGE 99 for the accommodation of fruit, but rather for meat, butter, eggs, and other merchandise; and, second, that proper adjustment of temperature and ventilation have seldom been secured. The latter difficulty is usually due either to ignorance or carelessness, and might be corrected; the former is harder to reach. In some cases, where storage rooms cooled by machinery have been properl}- managed, the results have been all that could be desired. As to cost, there is great variation in practice. The business of fruit storage in rented rooms is not yet common enough so that the owners of storage houses have been able to make a uniform rate. More- over, circumstances differ greatly in different parts of the country. Roughly, the expense ranges from ten to twenty-five cents a barrel a month, or from twentj'- five to fifty cents a barrel for the season of six months. Fifty cents a barrel for six months maj- be looked on as the standard rate, but a standard which is .seldom maintained. Material reductions are made when quan- tities of fruit are .stored, and the rate is reduced for various other considerations, so that thirty to thirty- five cents a barrel for the season comes nearer being the rate usually paid. These prices are reckoned for apples in barrels. Other fruit, as grapes, peaches, or strawberries, is sometimes stored for periods varying from a few days to several weeks. In such cases rates are fixed by agreement. There is no accepted standard. 2. Ice refrigeration. — The u.se of ice for cooling fruit storage rooms is often practicable on farms, lOO FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING especially in the northern states and in Canada. The principal difficulty is that the ice is needed chiefly in the late fall, so that it has to be carried all summer, through the full season of greatest waste. Usually, however, a comparatively .small quantity is required, merely enough to cool down the rooms and the fruit when the storage season com- mences. It is practically necessary, to make use of ice for cooling a storage room, that the ice be placed in a room or chamber above the storage space, unless some special system is used such as is described hereafter. This ne- cessity presents a serious inconvenience — namely, that the ice cannot usually be stored and kept where it is to be used. If the fruit storage room could be under the ice house the arrangement would be ideal and the whole thing could be planned with ease. But it is highly impracticable to make an ice house of the second story of a fruit house and to keep ice there through This means, practically, that the fruit house and the They may be close to- 35 — SKCTION Ul' STORAGE HOUSE DE- SIGNED BY FAVILLE AND HALL the entire summer. under ordinary circumstance.^ ice hou.se must be .separate. FRUIT STORAGE lOI gether, or even built one against the other; but when the fruit room is to be cooled the ice has to be handled out of its storage quarters and put where it is needed. The usual method of using ice for cooling a fruit room is to place it in quantity in a room above, arranging the ventilation so as to let the cool air flow down from the ice room into the fruit room and the ^M FIG. 36 — CROSS SECTION OF FAVILLE-HALL STORAGE HOUSE warm air to be carried off through flues or shafts. The cool air is best allowed to flow down at the sides of the building behind guides, which bring it nearly to the floor, in which case the warm air exit is placed in the center of the room and opens near the ceiling. The accompanying illustration of a storage house described by Faville and Hall (Kansas Experiment Station Bulletin 84, April. 1899) shows this arrangement reversed, the cool air coming in near the middle of the I02 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING ceiling and the warm air going up at the sides. If the house were arranged exactly as shown in the diagram, however, the circulation would be mostly in the upper part of the room, the air below remaining comparatively stagnant. With regard to this particular building, Messrs. Faville and Hall .say that it is designed to be located in a hillside of such a slope that the first floor will be on the le\'el of the surface at one end and the second floor a few feet above the surface at the other. The build- ing is 18x38 feet, interior mea.surement, two stories in hight, and divided into four rooms, two on each floor. On the second floor is the ice-storage room, 18x21 feet, in which the future supply of ice is stored, and the ice chamber, 15X 16 feet, in which is held the ice that cools the refrigerating room directly below. A door in the ice chamber communicates with the out- side. This is for the unloading of ice and is the only outside entrance into the second story. The refriger- ating room is i6x 18 feet, and is the compartment in which the temperature is to be reduced, and in which perishable products are to be stored. Leading into this room is the cooling room, 18x21, which is to be used as a general purpose storage cellar. A small entrance room protects the doorway into the cooling room. This is the only entrance to the ground floor. . . , The flooring is laid tight in the storage room and provided with a .slope toward the center. A gutter catches the drainage and carries it into the gutter from the ice chamber. To prevent leakage the floor of the storage room must have a sheet-iron covering. The floor of the ice chamber is laid with 2 x 4-inch lumber FRITIT STORAGE 103 JjiMMiliiMiili // KIG. 37 IKUUGH liEl.oW with I -inch spaces between. This provides for air circulation and water drainage. A sloping catch iloor leads the water into the gutter which carries it down and out through the cooling room. Another method of cooling .storage rooms with ice has come under the writer's obser\^ation in the cold storage houses of Smith Wright & Sons, Williston, Yt. The.se storage warehouses have been in success- I04 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETlNCx ful operation for many years, and are used chiefly for storing dressed poultry, butter, and eggs. Around the sides of each storage room are set a series of verti- cal pipes. These are made of galvanized iron or steel, and have a diameter of approximately 8 inches each. These pipes stand closely side by side in a single rank. The entire row sits in a wooden trough, which carries off the water as the ice melts. The pipes extend through the ceiling of the storage room and terminate in a broad trough in the room above. In this upper KIG. 38 — TROUGHS FROM WHICH ICE TUBES ARE FED room the work of icing the tubes is carried on. The ice is brought from the ice house on a suitable slide, and is crushed in a machine in the passage below. The crushed ice is swung up by a horse and tackle to the workroom above the storage room. Here the crushed ice is mixed with salt in definite proportions, and is fed into the cooling tubes by being shoveled into the trough already mentioned. The entire storage room is cooled in this way with the crushed ice and salt mix- ture, and operates, in fact, like a large ice-cream freezer. Any practicable temperature may be secured FRUIT STORAGE I05 in this way and maintained without serious variation. For holding dressed poultry a temperature of 14 to 15 degrees is kept the year round. The temperature is controlled by regulating the proportion of salt mixed with the ice. From 10 to 20 per cent of .salt, by weight, is used for temperatures ranging from 45 to 12 degrees. This con.struction has been found to be compara- tively inexpensive in its first cost, to be fairly durable, economical, and efficient. The application of the same method to the cooling of fruit storage rooms seems to be entirely feasible. A room required for the storage of apples or grapes could be cooled down at the time the crop was brought in, and the required low tem- perature could be secured at the critical season of the year — that is to say, in early fall. This is the time when the common storage room, cooled only by venti- lation, presents its greatest shortcomings. If ice could be used for the first cooling of the newly picked fruit and to tide over warm spells in early fall, ventila- tion could be depended on with greater confidence for the remainder of the .season. The same principle has been used elsewhere — for instance, in Canada, in dairy refrigeration, and has proved entirely .satisfactory. (See Canada Com. Ag. and Dairying Report, 1897, P- S^- ) Mr, Arthur H. Hill, who has carefully examined this Williston storage plant, believes that the plan may be easily adapted to the needs of fruit storage. He plans to build an apple house employing this arrange- ment of pipes, and the construction which he has de- vised is shown further on in this chapter. Io6 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING 3. Cooling by ventilatio7i. — Probably the most prac- ticable, and certainly the most economical, method of storage for farm use and for the ordinary fruit grower is that which depends solely on ventilation for regula- tion of the temperature. At first thought it seems that such means would prove inadequate, but wide experience has shown that, properly managed, a house cooled by ventilation is perfectly satisfactory for fruit storage in any of the northern states. This method grows less and less satisfactory, of course, as one moves southward, and I do not believe it is to be recommended for districts warmer than central New Jersey or central Missouri. It will succeed many times south of that latitude and will fail many times north of there. In the northern states and the prov- inces of Canada this system may be adopted with per- fect confidence. The requirements are about as follows : First, thorough insulation against outside changes of tem- perature ; second, adequate ventilation ; third, careful and constant attention, especially when the fruii is first put in, and before. Walls are best made in two or three layers, with dead-air spaces between. The typical wall for a stor- age house of this sort is built upon 2x4 studding. On the outside there is laid first a course of good inch boards ; over this is placed one or two la5'ers of build- ing paper, and the wall is finished with a course of tight, well-matched novelty siding. Inside the wall is built in much the same way. There is put on first a layer of inch boards, then one or two layers of paper, and finally the whole is ceiled and heavily painted. FRUIT STORAGE 107 The painting is ver}' important, as it presen-es the ceiling from the disastrous swelling and shrinking which it would otherwise inevitably suffer through taking up the moisture given off b}' the stored fruit. If still greater pains are to be taken to make a wall impervious to heat two dead-air spaces are provided. These are .secured by running furring strips along the sides of the .studs between the outer and inner walls, and by lathing and plastering on these. When such a wall is built it is best to make the studs 2x6. Such a wall costs considerably more ; but it is very much safer and well worth the extra expense. Ventilation is secured only by means of windows in the houses commonly built. Even these are fre- quenth' placed with less regard to the currents of air which they will furni.sh than to the appearance which they will make on the outside of the building. Win- dows ought to be fewer and properly constructed venti- lators more numerous — the fewer windows the better, in fact. A ventilating system consists of an intake for cold air and an outlet for warm air, the two being properly disposed with reference to each other, and so arranged as to .ser\'e all parts of the room. The cold air should be admitted near the bottom of the room, or should be conducted there by suitable guides. Perhaps the ideal arrangement is to have the intake brought in beneath the floor, and to have the cold air brought up through registers at such points as may seem best. The warm- air exit mu.st be placed in the upper part of the room. It acts much like a chimney, and the draft in it will be good or bad in accordance with the same I08 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING laws whicli govern llic chiiniie>- draft. The length of the wann-air shaft is therefore of some importance. If the room is more than sixteen feet long there .should be two ventilators ; and, if very long, there should be one for ever}' twelve to sixteen feet of running length. For a room 12 x 12x8 feet the warm-air flue should be about 12 inches square, inside measure, with a length of 6 to 12 feet. It is a very good plan to have a light wire shelf placed inside the warm-air flue and some- where near its middle hight. On this shelf a lighted lamp can be placed when a draft is required and when the difference of temperature outside and inside the house is not sufficient to start a circulation promptly. Whatever the arrangement of ventilators, great care and constant attention are required to reduce the temperature by their assistance alone, particularly early in the fall while the days are still warm. The fruit house should be clo.sed up tightly several days or even weeks before the fruit is to be put in. The win- dows should be closely blinded. Then whenever there comes a cool evening the cold air drafts should be opened. If the night promi.ses to be decidedly cool — cooler than the temperature already secured inside the house — the windows and doors may be thrown open. Then windows and doors must be closed early in the morning before the sun shines into the room and warms it all up again. As the temperature rises all the ventilators must be closed to prevent further circu- lation. Thus, by opening the ventilators nights and clo.sing days, the temperature of the .storage room is slowly reduced. When nights begin to be frosty the FRUIT STORAGE lOQ temperature can be reduced somewhat sharply, and if the house is well built there is very Httle loss during the day of the capital gained at night. An entirely satisfactory storage temperature of thirty-six to forty degrees may be secured in this way under favorable circumstances before the first of November, and a lit- tle later this can be reduced to thirty-two to thirty- four degrees. III. HANDLING THE FRUIT The old-fashioned way of handling pears in storage is to place them on shelves. These shelves are usually narrow and shallow. The plan of using shelving in the storage room has been applied to all sorts of fruit, and is still used to some extent, especially where only a small amount is to be handled. This is not practi- cable for large quantities of fruit, however, and prob- ably its advantages under any conditions are largely imaginary. A modification of the shelf arrangement is still used by the Colorado apple growers, and in a few other places where fruit is stored in shallow bins. This reduces the labor somewhat. Vegetables are often, perhaps usually, placed in bins in the storage room. The method now most commonly applied to fruits, however, is to store them in the packages. Apples are nearly always stored in barrels, grapes in baskets, peaches in baskets, and so on. This is, all things con- sidered, the best and most convenient way. There is a difference of opinion among apple growers as to whether barrels ought or ought not to no FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING be headed up when put into storage. According to the writer's view it is largely a matter of convenience. If the Ixirrels are to be emptied and the fruit resorted before being sent to market, it is better to leave the heads out. On the other hand, if the apples are to be shipped without further sorting the}' may as well be headed up at once, and the barrels will handle more easily. There is also a difference of opinion as to whether apple barrels should stand on end or lie on the side in storage. It is hard to see how there could be any difference one way or the other. The amount of fresh, warm fruit put into a storage room at one time should not be excessive. It is better to fill a room slowly, allowing time for each lot to cool. When a large quantity of fruit is placed in the storage room at one time it requires a considerable while for it to be cooled down. IV. TEMPERATURES Fruit storage does not require a very low tem- perature. In fact, the temperature is necessarily much higher than that used for butter or meat storage. The freezing point may be looked on as the minimum for fruit, whereas it is the maximum for meat. This simplifies the problem and reduces the expense. The best storage temperatures for all sorts of fruits and vegetables ha\'e not been determined. Far from it. A fairly precise knowledge has been gained from experience with certain kinds more commonly stored; but while the following table presents the be.st data FRUIT STORAGE III now available, it cannot be regarded as infallible, or as more than a])proxiniatel3' correct. APPROXIMATK TEMPERATURES FOR STORING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Degrei-s Degrees Apples, summer 36-42 Strawberries . 36—44 Apples, winter. 32—35 Potatoes . . . 36—40 Pears, summer 36—44 Onions 34—38 Pears, winter . 33—38 Cabbage . 34—36 Peaches . . . 36-38 Beets .... 36—40 Plums . . . 36-42 Turnips . . . 34—40 Cherries . . . 38-40 Celery. . . . 34-38 Grapes .... 32 — 36 Different varieties, however, even of the same class of fruits, often require different temperatures for best results. Judge Wellhouse writes me, saying : ' ' We have found that different varieties require a different temperature, but just what temperature is best for each variety we have >et to learn. Jona- than requires a much higher temperature than Ben Uavis. From the experience we have had I should say that forty degrees would be near the mark for Jonathan, and thirty-two to thirt>'-three degrees for Ben Davis. Some varieties are characterized b>- better keeping quality than others. This quality belongs to the variet}-, just as much as color, or form, or flavor. In an experiment made by the Canadian Experimental Farms, in which several varieties of apples were stored till May 28th, the order of superiority in keeping qual- ity was as shown below. The figures gi\-e percentages 112 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING of ajiplcs remaining sound at the end of the experi- ment. Salome . . . . . . 20 Fameuse . . . . . 12 Haas . . . . . . 0 Gideon . . . . . . 0 Mcintosh . . . . . 0 Anisovka . . . • . 0 Ben Davis 100 Wagener 88 Ravvle's Janet ... 82 Winesap 82 Walbridge 73 Lawver 49 Pevvaukee 29 But fruits of the same variety differ greatly in keeping quality, and so in temperature requirements, when grown in different localities, or even from year to year when grown in the same orchard or vineyard. It is a common observation that the weather during the ripening period has a profound effect on the keep- ing quality of apples or grapes. V. GRAPE STORAGE Along with the recent remarkable development of the grape growing has come an extensive business in grape storage. An acquaintance of mine from the grape-growing district wrote me the other day (March 1 2th), " A neighbor of mine has one hundred tons of Catawbas still in storage." The immense production of grapes, especially in certain neighborhoods in west- ern New York state, and the uncomfortably low prices which often rule at picking time, have naturally forced growers to use every means of increasing the outlet and of extending the season. Storage is one of the readiest of these means. At the beginning growers tried the cold storage companies, but the expen.se of rented storage was FRUIT STORAGE - 1 13 generally too great for the low price of grapes, and this practice never made much headwa}-. The very low price of grapes, in fact, made it positively necessary that any storage must first of all be comparatively inexpensive; and as the cheapest possible system is that of home storage in ventilated houses, this method came into most common use. The system of storage in houses cooled by ventilation has thus come to be the one generally practiced. It is successful be3'ond what might have been hoped in advance of experience. Indeed, the system seems to be as effective in keeping grapes as it is in keeping apples — that is to say, it is as satis- factory as any ordinary practical piece of hard work is ever likely to be. The houses or storage rooms used for grapes are exactly like those used for apples. The houses de- scribed in subsequent pages of this chapter and the designs given are mostly for apple storage; but this is merely because this crop has come under my more immediate observation. I wished to write this account as far as possible from mj' actual personal knowledge, and I trust such a course will seem justified in the eyes of the reader. But any of the houses herein described could be adapted to grape storage, usually without material alteration. Mr. Trevor Moore, of Hammondsport, N. Y., in the center of one of the largest grape producing dis- tricts in eastern North America, has been very suc- cessful in growing and storing grapes. I am indebted to him for much valuable information on this subject. He has also furnished me with the following descrip- 114 l-'R'^'I'l' HARVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING tion of an unusuall\- large and effective storage house owned by his neighbor, Mr. J. vS. vSniith. The house is 60 x 60 feet on the floor, with stud- ding 16 feet high. These are 2x6, and are papered and ceiled on each side and filled with sawdust be- tween. The lower and upper floors are made double and filled between with sawdu^^t the same as the walls. The entire building is placed above ground. There are several intakes for cold air on the east and west sides just above the floor. These are 3 >^ x 2)4 feet each, and are closed with tight doors like those used on refrigerator cars. There are two warm-air shafts from the upper floor through the roof and extending 8 feet above the comb. In each there is a shelf on which a lamp may be set to start the circulation of air when necessar3\ This building, which differs in no essential respect from the apple storage houses more explicitly described in this chapter, and which is a type of the growers' storage houses in the grape districts of western New York state, has been entirely successful in its opera- tions. Grapes, particularly Catawbas, are held here till April or May in perfect condition without the help of an)^ artificial refrigeration whate\'er. VI. STORING VEGETABLES Many sorts of \'egetables are extensively stored each year. Thousands of bushels of potatoes are car- ried the year round by dealers, and growers often hold their stocks for many months. Cabbages, turnips, carrots, beets, salsify, parsnips, and all similar vege- FRITIT vSTORAGE II5 tables are stored in great quantities and with general success. Vegetables are usually stored in pits or in root cellars, such as will be described further on in this chapter. Mr. Dean Ferris, market gardener, of Peeks- kill, N. Y., who is very successful in keeping vege- tables, has given nie a description of his methods, which I reproduce entire. He sa5's: " We dig carrots in October, put them in conical heaps on the surface, containing ten to fifteen barrels each, cover with the tops, and leave thus until approach of cold weather, when they are covered with soil at intervals as the weather gets more se\-ere, until the covering is about one foot deep. Beets are also stored at the same time and in the same manner. Parsnips, .salsify, tur- nips, rutabagas are not gathered until November, and are then treated the same as carrots. Horseradish is dug as late in November as it is safe to leave. It is put in heaps of not over seven barrels each, and with a liberal amount of soil mixed through it at the time each basketful is emptied. Horseradish sets require more care, and are put in heaps of two or three barrels, with as much soil mixed through them as possible. Onions are stored in a dry loft where it freezes, and those intended for .spring market are allowed to freeze and are then covered with ha>- or straw to a depth of nearly a foot, and this is not removed until the frost is entirely drawn out. Those for winter sales are not allowed to freeze nor to grow with too much heat. The best temperature, I think, is just above thirty-tw^o degrees. Squashes and pumpkins are best kept in a dry place where the thermometer will indicate fort}- to ii6 FRUIT hakvf:sting, storing, marketing fifty degrees. Cabbage we place on the surface in four rows, each block containing twenty-five to one hundred heads. They are pulled as late in November as possi- ble, and must be bright and clean to keep well. They are covered as are the carrots, leaving only the roots exposed. For use until February, we cut the heads, put them in long piles, cover with boards like the roof of a house, and then cover with soil as often as neces- sary. Celery is stored in trenches in November, the trench being about the same depth as the celery. They are placed upright as they grow, about five heads being in each course, and the trench may be any length. Cover with boards, to be followed later with soil, like carrots, etc. Our cellar is small, and we keep only enough vegetables in it to suppl}^ our trade for about a month. Potatoes we store in barrels in the cellar, keeping them in the dark. The best tem- perature for storing most vegetables is about thirty- five degrees, and for all roots the surrounding air should be quite damp. If I was sure that the snow would last all winter, I would place cabbage on sod ground, heads down, and cover with snow. When this can .be done the cabbage comes out in spring as nice and green as when covered. We can not winter over spinach unless our fields are well covered with snow the entire winter. For late keeping we sometimes allow parsnips and turnips to freeze in the pits, and do not remove until the frost is all out, when they come out nearly as nice as when stored. I prefer our plan to cellars or root houses, I have tried a celery house and gave it up." FRUIT STORAGE II7 VII. STORAGE IN PITS This is iindoubtecll\- the oldest form of storage for fruits and vegetables. It has been in u.se almost everywhere on this continent since the days of the first settlements. The Indians and the mound-builders used it, but that is really not to be considered a prece- dent. The method is better than it looks. At first sight it seems slovenly and makeshifty, but in reality it gives excellent results at small expense. Apples used frequently to be stored in pits, but the practice is waning as applied to fruits. Potatoes, sweet pota- toes, turnips, and cabbages are the vegetables most commonly stored in this way. The usual procedure begins by making a shallow excavation, into which the vegetables are put. In positions where perfect drainage can not be secured the excavation is omitted, and the vegetables or fruits are piled directly on the ground. In either case the vegetables or fruits are piled up into a high cone- shaped figure. Sometimes they are put on carefully in concentric layers with rounds of straw, chaff, leaves, or sawdust between. This precaution is probably worth while, as it .secures .some ventilation, facilitates drainage, and separates the fruits so that decay spreads less quickly from one to another. Sometimes a ven- tilator is placed in the middle of the heap. This may best be a simple box tube five to eight inches square, made of four boards nailed together. It should be liberally perforated with augur holes throughout its length. On top some sort of cover is placed to pre- vent rain or snow from falling in. Il8 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Excessive quantities of fruit or vegetables should not be piled together. Fift}- bushels or less may be considered best, though this limit is often greatly ex- ceeded. Personal experience under definite conditions is the best test. Several sorts of vegetables, as onions and cabbages, should not be included in the same pit. When the heap of fruits or vegetables is complete a covering of straw or leaves is put on. This covering may be held in place temporarily by loose boards laid on. It is desirable to keep the pile for several days, or even for weeks, without additional cover. This allows the vegetables to cool down and to e\'aporate a certain amount of water. As the weather grows colder some soil is shoveled onto the straw covering. This earth cover is put on, a little at a time, from day to day, thickening as the cold increases, until, by the time the ground freezes for winter, the pit is adequately protected against the severest freezes which are to be expected. The essentials of this method of pit storage are: { I ) good fruit or vegetables, mature and free from decay; (2) careful handling; (3) perfect drainage; (4) proper ventilation; (5) progressively supplied and adequate protection from cold, but not such a covering as will prevent the proper cooling off of the contents of the pit. The advantages of the method are convenience and economy. In the opinion of the author the use of storage pits should be much more common than it is. There seems to be a notion that it belongs only with frontier conditions, and it has generally been practiced only in new countries. My friend and former student, Mr. O. M. Morris, FRUIT STORAGE 1 ty has recently made public his obsen-ations of this form of storage in the comparatively new country of Okla- homa.* His descriptions and notes are of so much general interest, that I will cop>- them here : "Storing potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, and beets in pits over winter is practiced in Oklahoma and the surround- ing states to a considerable extent and with widely varying degrees of success. Some men keep their root crops over winter in pits, with a loss of not more than one per cent, while others lose their entire crop. There are many condi- tions that will contribute to the loss, and sometimes it is quite difficult to meet all the conditions required for successful storage in pits. " The condition of the crop to be stored is of prime impor- tance. It should be matured, free from decay, cuts, bruises, sun-scald, and the effects of frost. Sweet potatoes are very susceptible to the effects of frost and other injuries. Potatoes should be carefully sorted before they are placed in the pits for winter. All tubers that are not in good condition should be thrown out. It is best to place the crop in storage as soon as dug. The best results are had when the potatoes are kept a little moist and not allowed to dry in the open air. "The conditions for storage required by any crop are about the same, whether these conditions be furnished by cellars, storerooms, or pits. The material used in the con- struction of pits, however, is of a very different character from that used in other storerooms, and is more dependent on its character and surroundings for its utility. The pits should be so located that they will be partially or entirely shaded from the sun. This is almost necessary to maintain a low, even temperature. The best position is among trees or on the north side of a building. Excessive moisture can be avoided by giving good drainage. Sloping land with an open subsoil is the best, but any kind of soil is good if it is well drained so the water will not seep into the pit. If a desirable location I20 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING for a pit is not at hand, bad drainage may be overcome by simply piling the potatoes on the surface of the ground and covering. If this is done, the covering will need to be much thicker than for pits. It is best to have the potatoes on two or three inches of hay or straw, and covered with about the same thickness. The covering should protect from frost and turn water well. "The pits should be round, or long and narrow, so that the pile may be in the form of a cone or rick. The potatoes should not stand more than three feet deep in the pile. Small piles containing from six to ten bushels have nearly always given the best results in this locality. The power of the soil to absorb noxious gases is depended on as the only source of ventilation, and can not act successfully in large piles. Sometimes large pits are ventilated to advantage by placing a trough or piece of drain tile in the south side of the pit near the top. The tile is placed in a horizontal position, with one end in the straw that covers the potatoes and the other just outside the covering of soil. Another ventilator of the same form may be placed just at the surface of the ground. The ventilators must be closed and covered during very cold weather. " A large proportion of the loss of root crops in pits is due to the crops being unfit for storage when placed in pits. This point can not be too closely watched. If this loop-hole for decay is carefully guarded and good drainage secured, the remaining requirements can be provided at will. The pro- tection from the sun and from frost required will depend largely on location." It is better, when such a pit is opened, of course, to take the entire contents out at once. However, it is often feasible to make a small opening in one side, and to remove the potatoes or turnips a few at a time. I remember well how, when I was a boy, I used to be sent to the potato pit day after day to get enough for dinner; and no less an authority than Mr. John Bur- FRUIT STORAGE 12 1 roughs tells his experience of going to the straw-cov- ered pile of apples, thrusting his arm in full length, and feeling about for the variety of his choice. The continual removal of small parcels from day to day, however, is more apt to result in loss with apples than with potatoes or turnips. Hardly any other fruit except the apple will sub- mit to this method of storage, and the writer does not urge even this as a brilliant success. Among vege- tables it finds a wider range of usefulness. Those which can be satisfactorily^ handled in this manner are potatoes, turnips, rutabagas, cabbages, sweet potatoes, beets, mangels, carrots, parsnips, salsify, and late squashes. The order in which the.se are named is approximately the order of their amenability to the treatment under discussion. VIII. STORAGE IN " DUGOUTS " OR " CAVES " The "dugout," or "cave," which is frequently found on western farms, is one step removed from the storage pit toward the real storage house. The dug- out seems to be a western institution. In the winter it is used for storing fruit and vegetables, and in the sum- mer it becomes a refuge from threatening cyclones. I have often been waked up in the night to run for one of them. I lived in Oklahoma then, and refuge from cyclones was much more important than storage for apples. S'.ill, the "cave" was u.sed for holding various perishable products even during the cyclone season; and the frightened denizen, precipitately arriving at one o'clock in the morning, might find him.self but- toning his trousers and rul:)bing his eyes among pans 122 FRTTT HARVEvSTING, STORING, ^MARKKTING of milk, dishes of butter, and reinuaiits of yesterday's dinner. There may be ' ' caves ' ' and dugouts in the east, but I have never seen them. Even the word "cave" in this connection is, I think, of the west, western. The (higout is made by digging into a hillside, if one is available, and making the walls of earth so far as possible. Sometimes the walls are lined with boards, and sometimes these Hning-boards are run round on studding .set against the earth walls. Sometimes, however, and not seldom, the earth walls are unlined. Even the roof is commonly made of earth. Rough beams are laid for a ridge pole and rafters; these are covered with brush, and the earth is shoveled on. A well-built and properly managed " ca^•e " of this sort will grow a crop of pigweeds on top. The last desid- eratum has been secured when a gra.ss turf is settled over the roof, but good luck seldom goes so far as that in Oklahoma. A ventilator is sometimes put into the conventional dugout; sometimes not. For purposes of storage a good ventilator is highly important (and I think it would be appreciated b}- the crowded occupants on cyclone nights). The dugout necessarily has a door akso, but it seldom or never has a window. According to ni}^ rather extensive ob,ser\-ation of these examples of farm buildings, they would be greatly improved for storage purposes by the adoption of some rational means of ventilation. This might be provided by making a good-sizetl tlp.e on top at the end opposite the door, and b\- making a cold air inlet in the bottom of the door. A sliding window two feet square in the FRUIT STOKAOK 1 23 lower ])art of tlie door would admit cool air, which, as it became warmer, would pass out of the flue at the opposite end. The usual dugout fails to be an efficient storage room for one other reason, and that is that too many kinds of things are put into it. I have not infre- quently seen potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbages, onions, apples, and butter in the same " cave," or some other equally unfriendly mixture. The dugout seems to nie to he worthy of more general adoption on farms where no sort of storage is now provided. It seems, further, to be worth taking more .seriously on the farms where it already exists. I believe it has considerable possibilities in the storage line if properly managed. In particular it ought to be tried on small farms in the eastern states. No fur- ther directions or specifications for construction need be given, for there is nothing elaborate or difficult in the architecture, and each man will naturallj- make his own dugout to suit his particular circumstances. IX. MR. T. L. KINNEV'S HOUSE The apple .storage house of Mr. T. L. Kinney, of South Hero, Vermont, is one of the best I have ever seen. It may be taken as a type of the private fruit storage hou.se. It is well built, and has been entirely successful. Apples have been stored in it in con- siderable quantities every year since it was built, and have kept admirably without exception. This house was built in 1888. It is 30x50 feet. The main story is 8 feet 4 inches high in the clear ; 124 I'RriT 1IARYK.STIN(;, STORING, MAKKKTINO the basement is 7 feet 4 inches high, and the loft, or second story, is 7 feet high. The framing construction is simple, and much like that commonl}' used in barn building. The large room on the main floor is used primarily as a sorting and packing room, but can also be used KIG. 39 — MK. Kl.NNKV for storage when the basement is filled. It M'ill hold 1,000 barrels, piling the barrels three tiers high, which is as convenient as any way. The basement is the main storage room. The apples are let down to this from the main floor by an elevator. This basement also has an outside door at the end opposite the one shown in the perspective (Fig. 39). Barrels may thus be unloaded or loaded FRUIT STORAGE ^25 without being carried through the main floor. This basement room has no floor except for some loose boards laid down to keep the barrels off the earth. It has several small ventilating windows near the top, and the door is closed with a heavy double-planked door, which is kept shut after cold weather sets in. This room also has a capacity of i,ooo barrels. The upper story is used as a storage for empty bar- rels, coopers' stock, etc. The main door opens upon the first floor. The sill is about 3 feet 6 inches from the ground ; but the door ^A ^naCehed boarding, /ffa/BE. . Building fiaptn SuiCd iny /laptr: f -Clapboard: FIG. 40 -SKCTIUN Ol'- WALI is approached by a driveway, shown in the illustra- tion (Fig. 39). The windows are of glass and covered outside with heavy board shutters. The roof is of slate. The outside finish consists of three layers, as fol- lows: (i) a layer of i-inch matched pine, (2) a layer of building paper, (3) a layer of clapboards, well painted. The inside finish is also of three layers: (i) a layer of I -inch matched pine, (2) a layer of building paper, 126 FKllT HARVKSTIN(i, STOKINCi, MAKKKTIXO (3) a layer of half-inch matched Ixiardin^, heavily painted. The painting is important. Between the outside cover and the inside finish, and between the studding, there is another layer con- sisting of lath and plaster. The position of these \-arious parts will be l^etter understood by reference to Fig. 40. This leaves two dead-air spaces in the walls, one on each side of the layer of lath and plaster. Mr. Kinney says that if he were building again he would have the studding wider — say, 2 x 6 — in order to make the walls thicker and the dead-air spaces larger. In the construction of this house the following bill of lumber was used: BILL OF I.l MBKK FOR APPLE HOUSE 3,500 feet wall boarding 4,000 feet clapboards 3,000 " roof boarding 25 bundles lath 3,500 " ceiling (inside) 22}^ squares slate 7,200 feet floor boards (double floors) (HT'lSinK. FINISH 200 feet 5 in. crown mould | 190 " 2 in. bed mould | 300 " 'a X 10 mould for frieze and facia J- Lineal measure 200 " '8x7 base and water tables 200 " ,'a X 12 planers J 4pieces,;8x5 ■ 5 feet /. Corner boards 4 ^8x6 15 J 8 " 2x8 15 " isii, 16 " 2x8 13 " J^'"^ ^l W '^"^ 'f'K Floor joists 26 " 2 X 9 30 ) •' 26 " 1^4x9 19 " Collar ties to rafters [oo 3x4 14 20 " 3x412" \ 56 " 2x8 21 " Rafters 26 " 2 X 6 10 " ) 26 " 1x6 8 " S 16 " 1x4 13 " Ribbons 4 " 2 X 12 13 " Ridgepoles Wall studs Rafter Brace? FKriT STORAGE I27 Responsible lumber deakrs in Burlington estimate this bill at $443.69. This house actuall}- cost $1,500, finished. Mr. Kinney has furnished me with the following records of temperature observations, made during the winter of 1896-7, and showing how well he is able to keep the rooms under control : Cellar Alain Room Dati- Temperature 'J'emperature Degrees Degrees December 28 35 32 29 35 33 January i 36 33 2 36 35 3 36 37 4 37 38 7 37 36 " 37 35 14 7,^ 32 17 36 34 19 36 32 23 36 33 It will be noticed that the temperature fluctuated more in the room on the first floor than in the cellar. This is due to two causes; — ( i ) there were more apples in the cellar than in the room above, and (2) work was going on in the upper room, men were passing in and out, and the doors were frequently opened. The practice is to cool the house as much as pos- sible as picking time approaches. This is done mereh- by attention to ventilation. The windows are kept open during the prevalence of cool westerly winds or during cold nights, and the house is kept tightly closed during hot weather and when the sim shines. 128 KRI'IT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The fruit is picked and sorted into barrels if there is sufficient help at picking time. The sorting is done on a sorting table kept out in the orchard. When, as sometimes happens, enough help can not be secured, the apples are only partially sorted or not sorted at all. They are put into the barrels and are taken to the storage house, where sorting follows during rainy weather. When the apples are finally carefully sorted they are put into barrels without heads, and are set away in the storage rooms, where they are left undisturbed till shipping time. In case of unusual developments of scab or other troubles, especially if rotting occurs, the fruit may be resorted during the period of storage. At any rate, the final sorting and grading is done at the time of shipment. X. A CANADIAN FRUIT HOUSE One of the most satisfactory- storage houses of medium size which has yet come under my obsen,^a- tion is the one owned by Mr. J. M. Fisk, of Abbots- ford, Quebec. This is a frame building, 30 x 20 feet outside. It is built with 8-foot posts, and double boarded with i-inch hemlock. This hemlock siding is laid in two thicknesses with the tar paper between. The whole is roofed with cedar shingles. There is a cellar or basement under the whole house, which doubles its capacity. The cellar wall is of stone and mortar, 6 feet high and 2 feet thick. At the lower end it rises 3 feet above the surface of the ground; at the upper end, about i foot. The cellar is effectively tile drained, is furnished with a good cemented bottom, is lighted by three windows, with FRUIT STORAGE 1 29 double sash for winter, and is ventilated by two 4-inch tiles, which are closed in verj' cold weather. The floor over the cellar is 2^ inches thick, i-inch lining with tar paper and i^^ -inch plank. The floor above the packing room is 2 inches thick, of two layers of I -inch boards with tar paper between. The packing and sorting room above the cellar is lighted b}' fonr windows, 4 feet by 2 feet 10 inches. FIG. 41— MR. FISK'S fruit HOUSE The upper sash drops 6 inches for ventilation. There are two doors — one to load or unload from wagon with- out lifting barrels, the other for general use and to unload from dray. The loft or upper story is approached by stairway at end of packing room. The only approach to cellar is near the center of building, by a lift which consists of a section of the floor, cut 4 feet by 4 feet 2 inches, and supported bj^ four ^s-inch rods, one at each corner of the platform. These pass through and up to the ends of two .stout cro.ss-arnis, made of white ash, 6 130 I'RUIT IIARVKSTING, STORING, M ARKI'TIXG feet 6 inches above platform; and on toj) and center of cross-arms is attached a 9-inch pulley. This plat- form or open cage runs in grooves of frame of chute, which consists of four upright scantlings, 5x2 inches, one at each corner, firmly secured to both upper and lower floors and bottom of frame in cellar. The plat- form being a section of the floor, for loading and unloading, is held in position by a brake and lever attachment on top of the drum in the loft, and is operated from floor of packing room by a i^-inch endless rope, which passes twice around the drum in the loft, and down through either side of the platform to the bottom of the chute, over two small pulleys to keep it taut. The drum is 5 feet i y^, inches in diam- eter, with a 2 1 -inch rim, and is built on the shaft. In operating, it winds and unwinds the rope over the shaft, the rope passing through the pulley on top of cage as it is lowered or raised from the cellar. The lowering and raising are facilitated by a 200-pound counterweight attached to shaft by a rope and pulley. Mr. Fisk says he finds the elevator a great con- venience in handling the fruit, as it enables him to take advantage, without much labor, of a good cellar to store apples and other fruits and vegetables during both hot and cold weather. The cellar will store 260 barrels of apples, and the room above, which is designed for a sorting and pack- ing room, may be converted into a storage room at a pinch, and will accommodate at least another 260 bar- rels. The loft or attic is useful for general storage. The cellar is the room in which apples have been kept hitherto. Last winter apples in barrels in the cellar FRUIT STOKACR I3I suffered no damage, though the thermometer outside went down to 27 degrees below zero for a short time. No heat was given, and no artificial refrigeration was required. T'he capacity of the hou.se has not been severely taxed thus far, for, though Mr. Fisk had a market crop of over 1,300 barrels this year, the exceptionally good local market which he enjoys absorbed the greater part of it almost direct from the orchard. The foregoing notes are taken largely from an account published by the author in Country Gentle- man, 66 : 128, February 14, 1901. Mr. Fisk says that he can not give an exact statement of the cost of the house, because a good part of the lumber was from his own wood lot, and was prepared at odd times. The labor of construction was not let out to a carpen- ter or contractor either. The hou.se was essentially ' ' home-made. ' ' Perhaps this is a chief reason why it is remarkably well made. Mr. Fisk thinks, however, that $400 would be a fair estimate of the cost of .such a building in his neighborhood. He regards it as a good in\-estment, and says his only regret is that he did not l:)uild sooner and on a larger .scale. XI. PROFESSOR ALWOOD'S STORAGE HOUSE Professor William B. Alwood, horticulturist of the Virginia Experiment Station, has described in his Bul- letin 58 a storage hou.se which he built at Black.sburg, Va., and which involves a principle .somewhat different from anything met in other fruit storage houses. The general construction of the house is also interesting. The following account of the house is adapted from 132 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Professor Alwood's bulletin, from which also the illus- trations are drawn. The essential features involved are : ( i ) a cellar excavated into a gently sloping hillside, and carried into the bank far enough to place the cellar room entirely below the surface of the earth, and yet give an opportunity to enter the cellar easily by an inclined FIG. 42 — PROFESSOR Al.WOOl) h SlUKAGE UOUSF, way from the lower side of the slope ; (2) a flue lead- ing out from near the center of the floor of the cellar room along the bank of the hillside for a considerable distance, with sufflcient fall to make it act both as a drain pipe and a fresh-air flue ; (3) ventilators placed at each end of the cellar room, and rising to a suffi- cient hight so as to give draft enough to carr}^ off rap- idly the air from the cellar room. The cellar room will better ser\'e the purpose of cold storage if the excavation is carried back into the bank so as to make the floor 12 or 15 feet below the lowest point of the adjacent hillside. In FRUIT STORAGE 1 33 the case of the cellar built by Professor Alwood, the excavation is only 10 feet deep at the deepest point, but he now feels satisfied that a greater depth would give better results. The principle of a subterranean air fine is the unique feature of this cellar. Its use is intended to secure a dry, even temperature in the cellar by admitting air as desired through this flue. It should be at least 6 inches in diameter, and should be laid at a depth of 8 or 9 feet for a distance of about 500 feet. It is not necessary that this flue should lie in a straight line, but any departure from a straight line should be a gradual curve, so as to permit an unob- structed flow of air into the cellar. Situated at this depth and having a length approximately as stated above, the air flowing into the cellar through this flue will be in summer reduced, and in winter raised, to the temperature of the soil at the depth stated, which will approximate somewhere between 50° and 55° Fahren- heit during the entire year. The above statement is based on the observed temperature of perennial springs in the vicinity of Blacksburg, Va. From the foregoing it follows that if the air in the cellar becomes warmer than the air in the underground flue, it will rise through the ventilating flues, and the colder air will flow in from the supply flue as desired. The temperature of the cellar room can thus be approxi- mately controlled down to at least the neighborhood of 55° to 60° Fahrenheit. The construction of the cellar is shown somewhat in detail in the drawings. These figures serv/e to bring out the essential ideas and plan of the structure 134 FR^TT HARVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING sufficiently to enable any mechanic to carry them out on a larger or smaller scale to suit the needs of the builder. Fig. 42 is a longitudinal section through the cellar room, and shows also a side elevation of the storeroom above. The two ventilators, a a, rise through the. storeroom and are 6 inches in diameter by 15 feet long, thus insuring good draft. The air flue, b, enters under the foundation and discharges fresh air into the cellar room near the center. This flue is 6 ijnches in diameter, and, theoretically, should be extended far enough along the hillside to admit of tempering the air to the temperature of the surrounding earth while passing through it. The cellar under consideration has an air flue only 150 feet long, and it has proved impossible to cool the air in the cellar room below 60° with an outside temperature of 70°. The dotted line, h, shows the surface of the ground on the hillside, and the line i shows the level of the entry-way into the cellar. The entry-way should preferably be on the north side, and should be closed in by a vestibule, so as to protect the cellar-way from storm, and to prevent influence of outside temperature on the atmosphere in the cellar. The roof of the \-estibule Is shown at d, and one side of the entry walls at c. The floor of the cellar,'//, pitches slightly to the mouth of the air flue, b. The cellar floor is niade of broken stone and cement, and successfull>' checks the rise of ground water. The bins, or storage shelves, c r, etc. , are of 2 x 4 .scant- ling and I -inch oak boards. The letters k k, at lower ends of ventilating flues, indicate the position of sliding FRT'IT STORAGE 135 dampers, by means of which the flow of air from tlie cellar is controlled. With the 150-foot flue used in this cellar it has been found that when the mercury remains below 20° for any length of time, the cellar will take a temperature below freezing unless the ven- tilators are closed. Fig. 43 show^s the ground plan of the cellar. The letters so far as used always indicate the same part of the structure in the section. The walls are constructed of stone, which is unquestionably the proper material. ^I'T'i'T't -^Aw^^mm^^&mski-JB. ikr;^ ■m^s esE^ FIi;. 43 — CELLAR PLAN OK HOUSE SHOWN IN FIG. 42 In the Virginia building, which was constructed to test the practicability of an idea new to this class of structures, expense was avoided so far as possible, and the walls were built of wood. The framing of the walls is constructed of 2 x 4 scantling, framed into sills laid in broken stone and cement. The corner posts are 4x4 scantling. This frame is covered out- side by a double sheathing of inch oak plank. The first course was put on, diagonalh' and covered with .strong builder's paper, and over this a perpendicular course of .sheathing was put on. The whole structure was then literally soaked with crude petroleum, and the earth rammed in tight around the cellar story and 136 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING banked up so as to carry surface water away from the walls. Inside the walls were covered with inch oak boards, and the bins constructed as indicated in the drawings. The entry-way to the cellar is wide enough to ad- mit of backing a horse-cart or wagon down into the cellar so as to unload directly from it. This is a mat- ter of much convenience to the workmen. The width of the cellar floor will allow of a row of barrels being placed in front of the bins and yet admit the vehicle. With stone or brick walls the bins would need to be separated from the outer wall by putting up an inner wall of boards nailed to studding, thus giving an air space between the bins and the outer wall. A series of observations on the range of tempera- ture in the cellar was made during November, Decem- ber, January, and part of February, 1894, and the results are summarized below. The ventilator and the air flue were all left open from November ist to De- cember loth. The outside air temperature was 28° on the morning of November ist, and the cellar showed a temperature of 46°. As the month progressed a period of warm weather set in, without a drop to freez- ing, from the 7th until the 24th of the month. During this time the temperature often registered above 60° in the shade, with maximum readings considerably higher. The cellar temperature varied just 12° for the entire month, reaching 58° on two occasions, but closing the month at 46°, with outside temperature at 34°. During December the cellar temperature was re- duced quite steadily from 45° to 38°, the daily varia- FRUIT STORAGE 137 tions being at most 2°. Outside temperature varied considerably, but the range was between 15° and 46°. A number of observations were made on the working of the supply flue and the ventilators. The tests made showed that air passed through the 150-foot supply flue in thirty to forty seconds, and the ven- tilators could be depended upon at all times to keep up a movement of air in the cellar so as to draw in a fresh supply. In fact, during the coldest weather the ventilators were frequently closed to prevent the too rapid lowering of the temperature in the cellar. The tests showed that this flue could not be depended on to raise the air to a proper temperature when the mer- cury outside was at 15° or lower. The air was raised about 20°, the amount varying with conditions. During January further experiments showed that the temperature of the cellar could be easily reduced to 35° when the outside air was at 15° to 20°. How- ever, the building proved to be lacking in two essen- tials: (i) it was not deep enough in the earth, and (2) the floor between it and the tool room above was not properly laid. This floor is double, of half -inch stuff". It is now thought that the cellar room should also be heavily ceiled. The total range of temperature in the cellar during January was 35° to 42°. This result, however, was secured by carefully watching the conditions. An equally good result can not be secured, when outside temperatures are fluctuating, without constant atten- tion. Professor Alwood thinks that, with the improve- ments which have been suggested by experience, the I3S FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, IMARKETING building would become very satisfactorj-. In the opinon of the present writer the interesting and unique principle of an underground flue for tempering the air would be applicable to the storage of certain veg- etables, such as sweet potatoes, and others requiring a comparatively high temperature. The plan seems to be practicable for securing even temperatures, but hardly adapted to give the low temperatures required in apple storage. If the temperature of the soil at considerable depths is about 50°, as obser\'ed from li\'ing springs by Professor Alwood, the buried flue ought to give, theoretically, an even temperature approximately the same. This is much too warm for apples and many other fruits. Of course such an underground flue may be used or kept closed, accord- ing as the temperature of the storage room is higher or lower than the observed subterranean temperature. It might, therefore, prove a convenience with anj' house, and would in no way interfere with the more drastic methods of lowering the temperature of the storage room, which the manager might find it desira- ble to adopt at certain times. XII. A NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE The following description of a Nova Scotia apple storage house is furnished me by my friend, Professor F. C. Sears, director of the horticultural school at Wolf- ville. He says that apple warehouses are each year becoming more common in the great apple district of Nova Scotia, the Annapolis valley. They are built either by large speculators who deal extensively in apples, by English commission firms for the accommo- rRUIT STORAGE 139 datioii of their patrons, or by cooperative associations of the growers themselves, and are used either for the permanent storage of fruit or for temporary storing of apples as they are brought from the farm, and until they can be forwarded by rail to Halifax, and there loaded on steamers for England. The illustration shows one of several which were built in 1899 under the direction of Mr. C. R. H. Starr, agent of Northard & Lowe, of London. It is Jf['- ;\OWv., KIG. 44— A NOVA SCOTIA HOUSE 85 feet long by 20 feet wide, and has a capacity of about 4,000 barrels, with loading acconunodations for three cars at one time along the side. The building rests on a stone and brick cellar wall 8 feet deep, and the superstructure has walls 10 feet high. The walls are covered, on the outside of the •Studding, with two courses of inch boards, with build- ing paper between, and this again is covered willi paper, with shingles on the outside. Inside the walls are first lathed and plastered with selenite and lime mortar. Then inch strapping is nailed I40 FRUIT HARVESTING, STOKING, MARKETING against the studding, and the whole is covered with I -inch tongued and grooved spruce sheathing. The ceiling is covered with the same kind of sheathing, with building paper laid lengthwise of the joists between them and the sheathing. The upper floor is also laid double, with paper between, thus protecting the body of the building from frost from above. The windows and door frames are made with double casings buried in the covering in such a man- r~ .J,„,-,->»u.r.. 7 -- 1 '-■'-'•• \ .S^oo I C...., 1 ,.^.^B,^r^ 1 / 1 ,,..HJ,.ar^ \ ---■ \i — — f— J=^/. '■'^ 1 ,.,..^...u. i • ■ r.ncH ron,,^. . f.oo«. WaM-S^ ■c»»., 1 FIG. 45 — SECTION THROUGH WALL AM) WINDOW ner as to preclude the possibility of draft or frost (see Fig. 45). The windows have double sashes, and are provided with storm shutters for protection against heat as well as cold. The doors are also double, one swinging outward and the other inward, and fitting closely into beveled jambs. These doors are built on 2 -inch pine frames, with i-inch tongue and grooved sheathing on each side of frame, and paper between. There are three hatchways in the lower floor, pro- vided with gratings, or tight hatches, if required. The ventilators extend from the ceiling to the roof, and are provided with slides to close when necessary. The cellar has also double windows and 4-inch venti- lator tubes in the sides. Both the cellar and the main FRUIT STORAGE 141 floor of the building are proof against frost in the coldest weather, and altogether this warehouse is admirably adapted to the purpose for which it was built, and has proved invaluable to shippers. XIII. MR. T. B. WILSON'S HOUSE The house herewith illustrated and described is the property of Mr. T. B. Wilson, of Hall's Corners, Ontario County, N. Y. The following details regard- ..^».-,>- 1**' ^<'A:;'i^\ti)^T^J'" FIG. 46 — MR. WILSON S HOUSE ing the construction and operation of the house are taken from an account published by Mr. S. A. Beach (Rural New Yorker, September i, 1897). The fruit is received b}- the door which opens on the first floor at the front of the building at a con- venient hight for unloading apples from wagons. The rear door of the same floor opens above the railroad siding at a hight of about 13 feet. From this door the barrels are run over a slide directly into the car. When barrels that are in the cellar are to be shipped 142 FRinT IIARVl'STING, STORING, JiIARKKTING they are hoisted to the first floor by horse power, and then loaded into the car from the rear door. The dimensions of the building are 40 x 60 feet, outside measurement. The building consists of a cel- lar 1 1 feet high in the clear — the first storj- of the same hight — and the attic, which is used for storing empty barrels, wool, etc. The combined capacity of the cellar and first floor is 7,000 pony barrels or 6,500 standard barrels. The cellar walls are two feet thick, made of small stones imbedded in grout. Five venti- lators open into the cellar floor — one in the center and one in each quarter of the floor. From these one-foot pipes lead outside. The illustration (Fig. 46) shows four ventilators, which open outside the building near the ground, with doors by which the outside opening may be closed at will. The cellar has an earth floor and a ceiling of inch hemlock stuff". The walls of the first story are 20 inches thick, made of small stones imbedded in grout. The inside of the wall is formed by a 2x4 studding .set against the outer wall and covered with matched hemlock. The air space opens into the cellar below and into the attic above, and may be closed by a shutter in the attic, so that a current of cold air from the cellar may be sent through the air spaces whenever it is desirable to do so. Over the hemlock ceiling of the cellar is laid about three-fourths of an inch of mortar between the sleepers. The floor of the first story laid on these sleepers is of two-inch matched pine. The ceiling is rough hemlock. Above this the space between the joists is filled solid with sawdust, over w^hich are laid the inch hemlock boards which form the attic floor. FRUTT STORAGE 143 The cellar has but one outside door, which is in the middle of the rear side. On either side of this door are two windows, the only ones which open into the cellar. In addition to the front and rear windows already mentioned, the first floor has three windows opening to the rear — one over the door and two in front, one on each side of the door. The double doors are ceiled outside and inside, leaving a 2-inch air space in the middle. Between the outer and inner doors is a 12-inch air space. The windows are of single sash, protected by simple board shutters outside. The inside .shutters are about 6 inches thick, with 3-inch air space in the middle. The sloping jambs narrow outward. The first story is ventilated by lox 12 inch openings. These open into box flues which pass through the attic to the cupolas on the roof. These tubes are opened or closed by slides. Air is admitted through the windows and doors. The floor of the first story slopes gradually to the rear, so that barrels of fruit may be readily moved to the rear door, where they are easily loaded into the car. Concerning the u.se of the building, Mr. Beach says further : ' ' Shipments are made from here at any time during the winter by u.sing refrigerator cars. It has never been necessary to build a fire in the building to keep the fruit from freezing. The temperature has been controlled by strict attention to the ventilation. Ru.ssets have been held here in good condition till May before being shipped." Mr. Wilson has frequently shipped apples to Europe from this building b\- the carload. He has 144 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING also rented storage to others at a fixed rate by the barrel. XIV. MRS. L. E. ALLEN'S STORAGE HOUSE The storage house of Mrs. L. E. Allen, at South Hero, Vt., is interesting not only as being an entirely successful building of its kind, but also as exemplify- ing in its construction certain practical conditions which have frequently to be met. It often occurs that the fruit farmer does not care to build a fruit storage house out and out, bran new, from the ground up. He has some other building on hand which he can more conveniently make over, or some beginning from which he can enlarge to suit his needs. These were the circumstances which governed the planning of the house under consideration. This house was built on a foundation already made, where another structure had stood, and the fruit room above the foundation was also built against another building already standing on one side. These condi- tions, of course, lowered the cost of construction con- siderably, and this must be remembered in examining the figures given below. Nevertheless, these condi- tions of construction occur so often that the case is fairly typical, and may be properly given at its face value. The house consists of two rooms, the lower one being a basement with stone sides. This basement opens out on the level of the ground at one end, and is covered with earth to the top of the wall at the other end. The basement story is 7 feet 2 inches high inside, and the room above is 7 feet 7^ inches FRUIT STORAGE 145 high. Each room is 43 feet 9 inches long by 17 feet 2 inches wide. The outside of the upper stor}' was first boarded on the studding, then covered with tar paper, and clapboarded on top of this. Between the studding it was lathed and plastered. Inside it was ceiled up with matched spruce, and a wainscoating of hard pine FIG. 47 — MRS. ALLEN'S APPLE HOUSE was run round. The main floor is double thick, with tar paper between the layers. The basement has no floor, but loose boards are laid down and the barrels are rolled onto these. The roof is covered with gal- vanized steel. The upper room was originally intended only as a sorting room, the lower story being expected to hold all the fruit in storage. As a matter of fact, however, the upper room has several times been held full of 146 FRUIT HAR\'i:STING, STORINO, MARKKTING apples for several months at a time, with excellent success. A small stove is provided, and a trifling fire is kept on very cold days, just to take the chill off the air. A temperature of about 26° is the lowest ever registered during the storage season. The tempera- ture generally maintained is 32° to 35°. The following bill of materials and labor shows approximately the cost of this house : 1,000 feet Joists, 2xS $14.00 600 " Studding, 2. X 4 8.40 5,000 " Ceiling, matched spruce .... 60.00 r,ooo " Flooring, hard iS.oo 50U " Sills, 6x6 6.00 1,000 " Floor Covering 6.00 Clapboards 19.60 10 Windows 15.00 10 Window-frames 10.00 Paper 10.00 Lath and plaster 12.00 Roofing, galvanized steel .... 24.00 Labor 125.00 Incidentals, nails, etc 30.00 Total $358-00 XV. NOTES ON VARIOITS STORAGE HOUSES This list of descriptions of storage houses with records of results might be continued to considerable length. It seems best, however, to draw it to a clo.se with sundry notes on various storage hou.ses in differ- ent parts of the country. Each one of these houses has been a separate problem, and each man has worked the questions out for himself. All are there- fore interesting, and more or less instructive. FRUIT vSTORACtE 147 A Colorado house. — Hon. W. S. Cobum, of Hotch- kiss, Col., has a very successful house which is known all over the state. It is 36 x 60 feet, and one and a half stories high. It is built double, with two 8-inch concrete walls having a 4-inch dead-airspace between. The lower floor is of cement with a board covering. The boards are laid three-quarters of an inch apart. The upper floor is carried by 2 x 8 joists. Strips are nailed on the lower edges of these, and inch boards are sawed and furred in between the joists, being nailed to the strips just mentioned. These furrings are then covered with heavy felt paper, and the spaces between the joists filled to the top 'with con- crete. Another floor is laid on top of this, making the whole construction uncommonly sound and tight. There are ventilators at each end of the building to admit air from the outside. The apples are kept in bins, which seems to be customary in the western states. The bins have successive slat floors placed every 30 inches, one above another, and the fruit is spread on these. Over each bin there is a ventilator, which, in drawing off warm air, creates a draft through the apples in the bins. The temperature is controlled entirely by ventilators. Such control has been found entirely practicable and satisfactory. More Colorado experience . — Another Colorado apple grower who has had much gratifying experience in storing fruit, particularly apples, is J. S. McClelland, of Fort Collins. His storage house is 70 feet long, varying in width from 12 to 18 feet, and holding about 1,500 barrels. This part is mostly under ground, and 148 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING forms the chief storage. At one end there is a two- stor}' frame packing house, 24 x 24 feet, the lower floor of which is also sometimes used for storage. The sides of the main storage room are of earth, and so are the floor and the roof. The apples are stored in tiers in bins, however, in the same manner employed by Mr. Coburn and described above. The tempera- ture is controlled entirely by ventilation, and Mr. McClelland tells me that he has successfully carried apples in this room till May. Mr. McClelland, it should be said, makes a specialty of Ben Davis, which he grows in great perfection, so that his stock is the very best for storage. An Ontario house. — Brooks Brothers, of Courtice, Ontario, have a well-built and exemplary storage house, used almost altogether for apples. The build- ing is at Oshawa Junction, and is built beside the rail- road tracks conveniently for shipping. It has a capacity of 10,000 barrels. It is two stories high, built of stone below and woodwork above. The floors are of cedar plank. The temperature is controlled entirely by ventilation, there being neither artificial refrigeration nor heat applied. It has been successful. An improvisation. — The house used by Mr. H. H. Hill, of Lsle La Motte, Vt., for storing apples is of general interest from the fact that it was improvised from materials on hand, Mr. Hill made use of an old stone woodshed attached to the house, after the manner common in rural New England. The stone walls are 2 feet thick. The storage room proper is about 26x32 feet in size, and high enough. .-jf*lanks FRUIT STORAGK 149 were laid on the ground for the barrels to rest on. The apples are put into barrels as fast as picked and are taken directly to the storage room. Here the barrels are piled up one above another, standing on end and unheaded. They are allowed to remain undis- turbed in this position till shipping time, when the t„L^v;;ai IIG. 48 — WOODSHED CONVERTED INTO STORAGE HOUSE fruit is resorted, packed, headed, marked, and sent to market. The house has been only fairly satisfactory, and Mr. Hill thinks he could improve it considerably by making some alterations in the light of his several years' experience. A small home storage house. — A small storage house, holding fruit for home use only, is owned and operated by Mr. Joe A. Burton, of Orleans, Ind. This house holds 115 barrels of apples when quite full. 150 FRt'IT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING It is 11X12 feet in size on the floor. It is built of brick with double walls, four inches apart, and filled with sawdust between. The ground floor is 15 inches below the surface of the ground, but the soil is banked up against the outside walls to some hight for pro- tection. The room is 8 feet high inside. The ceiling is covered above with 15 inches of sawdust. The floor is grouted and cemented and the walls are plas- tered. This house has proven unusually successful for holding apples; but much of the good result is doubtless due to the manner of growing and handling the fruit. Mr. Burton writes me on this matter as follows: " Our success in keeping apples is due more to the handling than to the house ; in fact, our apples are kept in the barn and outhouses till cold weather drives them into the cellar. Did we ])arrel them as you state in your bulletin, only partially assorted, we would expect to lose most of them, as do our neigh- bors. Every apple showing any sign of decay is rejected. We leave them on the tree as lon'g as pos- sible, not to have too nuich loss by falling. They can pass the hot spells much more successsully on the trees than in the barrels. It is the hot weather after gath- ering, hastening the ripening, that causes most of the loss Ave sustain. We hardly know .such a thing as winter rot. A cellar under a house is too warm to keep apples well in our climate. Our key to .success is: Assort .severely, and keep as cool as possible not to freeze. ' ' IVesf Vi7'gi7iia experience. — Certain counties of We.st Virginia produce consideral)le quantities of FRUIT vSTORAGE I5I apples, and in these neighborhoods storage houses ha\e been found ^'ery useful, The following notes of conditions and experience in West Virginia are made chiefly from information furnished bj^ Professors L. C. Corbett and K. C. Davis. There are in Hancock County six or seven houses varying in capacity from 2,500 barrels up to 35,000. These houses are variously constructed of wood, FIG. 49 WEST VIRGINIA APPLE HULSK brick, and stone — most of them, however, of stone. They are usually placed on sloping land and built in the fa.shion of a bank barn, with a basement storj- and a story above ground. The basement story is frequently covered with soil on two or three sides, making a sort of a cellar. Some of these buildings are used merel}' as warehouses, while others are pro- vided with an ice chamber, always on the second or third story. Where ice is used a metallic floor is pro- vided for the ice chamber. The storeroom, besides having the .stone wall, usually iS to 24 inches thick, is 152 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING also provided with a lining constructed of studding, building paper, and matched flooring. This makes a dead-air space 2 to 4 inches wide, according to the way the studding is placed between the wood and stone walls. A cement floor, or compacted earth floor, is provided in the l^asement room, and on top of this wooden trestles or a tight board floor is placed. If the floor be of compacted earth, wooden trestles are usually preferred, while in one of the best houses a tight board floor is used. The second story floor is usually built of 2 x 4 stuff, placed on edge, with an air space about an inch wide between each of the 2x4*8. This provides for a complete circulation of air between the two stories. The fruit is usually packed tightly in barrels, without sorting, as it is taken from the trees. These are carried directly to the storerooms and packed away with the barrels on the side, as a rule, 1x6 pieces being used as a guide- way between each tier of barrels. In this fashion the whole chamber is stored full of barrels from floor to ceiling. The fruit is not disturbed after being placed in the wareroom until it is packed out for shipment. Then it is graded and each barrel labeled according to the grade to which it belongs. Where ice is used the houses are iced before beginning to store the crop, so as to have the storerooms cooled as the barrels are placed in permanent quarters. The growers seem to have an idea that this is a very essential part of the management of the hou.se. After getting the tem- perature once reduced it is maintained, as nearly constant as possible, in the neighborhood of 34° to 38°. FRUIT STORAGE 153 Mr. Arthur II. HilV s house. — The apple house of Mr. Arthur H. Hill, Isle La Motte, Vt., herewith illustrated, is an admirable example of what may be done without going to the expense of constructing a complete storage plant. The house was built merely for a packing shed, and this is still its chief use. It has, nevertheless, ser^^ed as a storage house at a pinch, and its success in that line is worth noting. Mr. Hill KK;. 5(J 1 IIEAI'ER HOUSK FOR TEMPORARY STORAGE tells me that he has held apples successfully till the middle of February, and through a temperature of 18° below zero, by the aid of a small wood stove in which an occasional fire was kindled. The walls of this house are not constructed with a view to keeping out the cold, being only one thickness of novelty siding. The floor below is of sand, on which boards are distributed thickly enough to keep the barrels clean. The second floor is of matched spruce, and is approached b>- a stairway in one corner. FKUIT STORAGE 155 Large double door openings in each end — large enough to admit a team and wagon — are protected only by sliding doors of single thickness. There are four two- sash windows on either side. The house is 26 x 65 feet, with 15-foot studs and a ' ' quarter pitch ' ' shingled roof. The total cost was about $400. Only the lower story has ever been used for stor- age. This will hold something over one thousand barrels of apples when full. The second story is used as a cooper shop, and for the storage of barrels, spray- ing apparatus, etc. XVI. DKSIGN FOR SIMPLE LEAN-TO STORAGE This design is intended to meet the requirements of the grower who has the smallest possible quantity of fruit to store. It will accommodate one hundred barrels of apples when full, but of course can be used equally as well for grapes, plums, or pears. It is to be constructed in the simplest and cheapest possible manner consistent with efficienc}-. It is to be built as a lean-to on the north side of some barn or granary already standing. The dimensions inside are as follows: Length, 20 feet; breadth, 10 feet; hight, 8 feet. The rafters may be of 2 X 4 stuff. The roof should be shingled on top of two layers of inch boards, with building paper be- tween. On the under side of the rafters there should also be a ceiling of well-matched lumber, with a layer of building paper inside. The studs may also be of 2x4. Outside they should have a layer of inch pine boards carefully laid, a double coating of building 1^6 FRfIT IIARVKSTINO, .STORING, MARKIITING paper, and a layer of n()\ell\' siding. Inside the}' should be covered with another layer of inch l)t)arding, a layer, or, better, two. of building paper, and finally a VIC. 52 — LEAN-TO STORAGE HOUSE — ENU VIEW good course of ceiling well laid and heavily painted. The sill should consist of one piece of 2 x 4 and one of 2 X 6 .spiked together, L .shaped, making a box .sill. The joists should be 2 x 6. There .should be one door and no windows. In- l-RUIT STOKAGK I57 stead of Avindows there should be ventilators along the side, put in just above the level of the floor, as shown in the end elevation in the figure. These can be lifted from the outside without disturbing the house, and cold air admitted as required. A ventilator for carr}-- ing off the warm air should be placed near the middle of the room, and may properly be made high enough above the roof to be somewhat independent of the building against which the lean-to storage house is constructed. It ma}' or may not be convenient to have the floor of the storage room 2^2 to 3 feet above the ground, so that barrels may be easily handled in and out of a wagon. In case the high floor is preferred, a small unloading platform will be found a great convenience. This house can be built for about $75. On some farms where material can be had cheaply, and where the work can be done without hiring, it will not cost more than $50. It ought to cost not more than <^ioo anywhere. XVII. DESIGN FOR COMMODIOUS HILLSIDE STORAGE The ordinary way of building a storeroom into a hillside is to place the house lengthwnse into the hill instead of lengthwise along the hill. Such a storage room is usually small, and the construction is properly a "dugout," or "cave," such as has alread}- been described in this chapter. A more commodious stor- age cellar may be made by running the room the other way, longitudinally along the hill-slope. This is the way in which the large and well-known storage house of the Olden Fruit Company is constructed. 158 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The Storage house of the Olden Fruit Company, of Olden, Mo., is a pioneer in its way, and its suc- cess has been gratifying, on the whole. The manager writes me that they have held apples in good con- dition till the first of March — this in Missouri. The house is 192 x 46 x 12 feet inside, and holds about "-'■ 53 — CROSS SECTION OF HILLSIDE STORAGE 14,000 barrels of apples. The house is not roofed with earth, but the soil which was taken out of the excavation was used to bank up on the lower side as high as the eaves. The roof is of boards battened. It has a pitch of forty-five degrees. The hou.se here suggested and shown in section, Fig. 53, is con.siderabh' smaller, being only 6 feet high and 12 feet wide inside. These dimensions, of FRUIT STORAGE 159 course, may be varied to an>- extent and in any direc- tion to suit the convenience of the builder. It may be made of any required length. The best method of construction would be to set posts along the sides in the place of studs. These should be of cedar, oak, catalpa. or other durable wood, and should be long enough that the\- may be inserted 2 or 2^2 feet into post-holes at the bottom. They should be thoroughly tamped in and anchored ..c;..-/ KIG. 54 — ENTRANCE TO HILLSIDE STOKACE with stone. Heavy plates may be spiked to the tops of these posts. These plates should not be less than 3x8 inches — preferably more. Or box plates may be used, made of two pieces of 3 x 8 or 2 x 8 spiked together. Heavy joists will also be required, which should be spiked to the plates. If the stud-posts are numerous enough and properly placed, the joists can be spiked directly to them, which will be still better. If the earth roof is to be used, as it may properly be, the joists should be covered on top wdth a number of l6o 7'Rl'IT HAKVKSTINC;, STORING, MARKETING loose boards, llien with light ))olcs, then with sonic hnish, and finally the earth nia>- be drawn on with a scraper. The roof shonld be ceiled on the inside, preferably with matched i -inch lumber. This ceiling may be nailed directh' to the stud-posts on the sides and to the joists overhead. It will be worth while, if opportunity offers, to fill in behind and above the ceiling with sawdust. A floor will not be required ; but some loose planks should be laid on the ground for the barrels to lert on. One or more ventilators should be put in at the back of the room, as shown in the figure, extending up to the ground above. These will carrj- off the warm air when required. They should be arranged so as to be closed whenever desired. One ventilating shaft 1 6 inches square inside .should be provided for each 12 feet in length of the .storage room. On the opposite side of the storage room, and at the bottom, there should be a number of drains provided. These should be made of tile or similar materials. The.se drains should be laid in such a way as to sen^e also as inlets for cool air when required. They will thus act in conjunction with the warm-air outlets provided above and at the opposite side of the room. They should, like the warm-air drafts, be arranged so as to be clo.sed and opened at will. Perhaps the best size for these combined drains and ventilators is six inches; that is, they will be of six-inch tile. There should be one such ventilator drain for e\-ery six feet in length of the house, or if there is apt to be much .seepage water to be carried off, the drains should be larger or more numerous. FRUIT STORAGE l6l Thf door U) this lioust- \vill naturally he made in the side, and may he located either at one end or in the middle, as may hest suit the huilder. A proper vestihule should be built about it. or two doors should be used, the one to protect the other. Windows may be introduced on the down-hill side of the room if thought necessary, but they would probably be more trouble than use. The cost of such a house would vary innnensely according to the manner in which it were built. The IIG. 55 — SIDE ELKVAIION OF STORAGE HOUSE chief expense would be for labor ; and this is often an item of small expense on the farm. If all the labor had to be hired the expense would naturally be more serious. It is impossible, however, to make any esti- mate of the cost here. XVIII. DKSKiN FOR A THOUSAND-BARREL ^■^ STORAGE HOUSE The design herewith given was contributed by the author to Country Gentlemen, December 7, 1899, and is here reproduced with new illustrations. The plan is intended to provide an apple storage house with a 1 62 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING -^ i .J J Storage J^oom. Porting *• PacMing T^oom. V /o'xse'. \ fiat/orm. FIG. 56 — PLAN UK .TORAGK HOUSE capacity of 1,000 barrels, to 1)e l)iiilt in one stor}- on level ground. The main storage room of this house is 36 x 38 feet, and will hold just about 1,000 apple barrels when full. They will then be piled up three tiers high, which is not an inconvenient arrangement. Apple growers have generally found it best to store apples in FRUIT STORAGE 163 barrels. The house also has a sorting and packing room 10x36 feet, all of which space will be needed. This packing room stands next to the outside door, and the only entrance to the storage room is through this sorting room. This protects the storage room from outside temperatures, and permits work to go on, either bringing in fruit or taking it out, without dis- turbing seriously the atmosphere in the storage room. FIG. 57 — SECTION OF STORAGE HOUSE The space overhead will be needed for storing barrel .stock, etc. The front (double sliding) door .should be 6 feet wide, and the two. inside doors should be 3 feet 6 inches. It will be an advantage to have two inside doors, arranged as shown in the plan. If a .single door is used between the two rooms and is put in the middle of the partition, it will admit more drafts of outside air to the storage room, and will not be so convenient in handling barrels from one room to the other. No ice or artificial refrigeration is needed in this 164 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING house — at least, not for any place north of \'irginia. The temperature can be easily controlled by the windows and the ventilators shown in the various ele\'ations. With the windows placed high up on the sides, as shown in the elevation, Fig. 55, it will be desirable to have guides placed inside the windows at a distance of 6 to 8 inches in front of them, and extend- ing 2 or 3 feet lower than the ))ottoms of the windows, ^ fk;. 58— end el£vatu)N of storage house to deflect the cool air downward as it enters. Other- wise the entire circulation will be in the upper part of the room while the air will become stagnant near the floor. The walls should be double thick. Inside they should be boarded with matched lumber on the studs, and then closely ceiled on top of this. The ceiling should also be heavily painted. This is absolutely essential. Outside they should have a sheathing of inch lumber and a coat of building paper on top of this, the whole to l)e co\-ered with matched novelty FKUIT STORAGE 165 siding. This ma)- seem a good deal of material to put into the walls, but "it will pay. Still, one or two layers may be omitted " at the owner's risk." This house will cost from $800 to $1,200, depend- ing on who builds it, and where. Details of construction, such as ventilation, forma- tion of the walls, etc., may be varied to suit the needs and notions of the builder. XIX. SPECIAL DESIGN FOR ARTHUR H. HILL Mr. Arthur H. Hill, of Isle La Motte, Vt., projects an apple storage house of a somewhat novel type, to suit rather unusual conditions. He has an old stone quarry just on the bank of Lake Champlain. The .stone has been taken out in such a manner as to leave a perpendicular wall a little over twenty feet in hight facing the lake. He proposes to build the storage house against the face of this rock wall, thus saving the construction of the west wall of his storage hou.se. The other three walls will be built of stone taken from the quarry on the spot. The site has two other natural and iniusual advan- tages. The position on the very shore of the lake makes it easy to secure a supply of ice, and the plan is to use ice in cooling the fruit rooms. In the second place, the apples are often shipped by boat, and a dock can easily be provided within a few feet of the building, so that barrels can be loaded directly out of the house and into the boat. Canal boats run directly from this point to New York and Buffalo, .so that marketing is attended with the utmost con- venience. 1 66 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING /ce 7'rougr}z /ci/zp and PacMing /?oo^n. ■^ I i -+- I j i i .^-- — >ro'-o' /ce Trouip ?i. I 4.-. ,i o o •1 I — 30'-n I . — ■■— 20-0'- a— . FIG. 59 — PLAN OF STORAGE HOUSE FOR MR. ARTHUR H. HILL The proposed plan, shown herewith, calls for a building 50 feet square, and 24 feet high to the eaves, with four stories and a garret. Each stor\- of the FRUIT STORAGE 167 storage space proper is made low, only 6'_' feet be- tween floor and ceiling. This will accommodate two tiers of barrels on end, and, in case of crowding, another tier on the side. This makes less work in handling than when barrels are piled three tiers high, 60— SECTION OF PROPOSED ICE-COOLED STORAGE-HOUSE and there is consequently less rough handling of the fruit. In the center is a shaft 8 x S feet in .size, which ser\-es the triple purpose of elevator, ventilator, and support for the floors. This will be open on all four sides, but with doors arranged so as to control venti- lation when necessars'. l68 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING The upper floor — the one opening on the bank — will be used as a packing room. The fruit will be re- ceived here, and may be discharged either from here or from the lower story. This room will be used also for icing the pipes in cooling the rooms below. The system of ice cooling proposed is that already described, page 103. Pipes of galvanized iron 8 inches in diameter will extend from the icing trough on the upper floor to the waste trough on the lower floor. These can be filled with the crushed ice and salt mixture when desired. If only a part of the storage space is in demand, the lower room will be cooled by filling the tubes as high as the ceiling of that room. The necessary ice house will be built against the storage house, probably on the edge of the bluff above, and on a level with the floor of the icing room. A lining of rough sheathing will be used between the stone wall and the cooling pipes, and another lining or curtain of lighter material will be placed inside the range of pipes. Other details of construction have not yet been determined on, but will be sufficiently obvious so that any practical builder can follow the general outlines of this plan and make the necessary adapta- tions under any circumstances which make a similar construction .seem desirable. PART SIX Appendix APPENDIX I. IMPORTS AND EXPORTS OF FRUIT, UNITED STATES The following tables, showing the imports and ex- ports of fruits, are taken directly or indirectly from the reports of the vSecretary of the Treasury of the United States. Those indirecth^ secured come by way of a paper prepared by Mr. W. A. Taylor for the United States Department of Agriculture Year Book, 1897, page 305. This important article has not attracted the attention it deserves. It brings out, by means of statistics and text, the interesting fact that home- grown fruits are being rapidly substituted for foreign- grown fruits of many kinds. This condition is further established by the additional statistics given below. Take, for example, the items of raisins and prunes. The importations of these fruits increased steadily and enormously from 1830 up to 1890, but from that time have fallen off quite remarkably. This is due, of course, to the establishment of the raisin grape industry in California and of large prune orchards all along the western coast. In this direct connection there should be noted the other fact that, while importations have been greatly reduced, the United States has actually 172 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MAKKKTING opened a considerable export trade in these same fruits, as will be seen from these figures : EXPORTS OF RAISINS AND PRUNES, 1898-1900 YEAR ENDING RAISINS PRUNES DECEMBER Pounds Dollars Pounds Dollars 1898 1899 1900 4,507,084 3,554,920 3,542,875 222,975 204,001 217,502 8,164.987 10,519,024 16,632,803 537,628 1,048,453 1,031,946 The increasing importance of the American prune industr}' may be better judged by the fact that the output has doubled within the last five years. The California prune crop, which forms the bulk of the output, has, during the last half decade, reached the figures given herewith. PRUNE OUTPUT OK CALIFORNIA Year Pounds Year Pounds 1896 55,200,000 1898 90,420,000 1897 . 97,780,000 1S99 114,227,000 1900 (estimated) 125,000,000 Such fruits as olives, pineapples, bananas, and dates, not commercially produced in the United States, are imported every year in larger and larger quanti- ties. The whole fruit trade is increasing enormoush- every year, so that any reduction in importations almost necessarily means a larger increase in domestic production. With these remarks the following tables are sub- mitted. APPENDIX 173 AVERAGE ANNUAL IMPORTS OF FRUITS INTO THE UNITED STATES BY DECADES, IN POUNDS DECADE ENDING Raisins Ctirianis Plums and Prunes Dales Almonds 1830 .... 4,437,939 189,i-.23 146,929 44,426 637,866 18)0 13,203,732 489,747 584,969 429,355 2,240,451 1850 13,4y^',060 1,331,631 398,422 362,227 1,493.692 1860 19,008,2.55 3,176,469 3,833,635 1,553,679 3,352,759 1870 21,468,783 5,866,839 6,333,531 1,718.348 2.290,157 1880 33,731,861 16,491,727 25,108.911 4.059,331 2,514.072 1890 41,812,016 28,189,074 56.928.640 8,884,713 3,121,444 1890-97. . . . 18,473,610 34,505,448 14,323,463 15,193,490 3,500,835 ANNUAI. IMPORTS OF FRUITS INTO THE UNITED STATES FOR TEN YEARS, IN POUNDS Plums and Prunes Figs I Al. monds 1897 1898 1899 1900 37,174,1P6 18,873.690 23,598,985 13,660,498 13,888,095 10,202,086 11,917,7.56 9,651,910 4,332,040 42,849,814 36,665,728 33.166.364 52,350,0&3 15,936,019 32,351.985 28,218,176 34,061.006 32,244,832 20,578,032 41,012,571 10,374,874 23,225,821 8,749,349 15,311,695 852,944 736,987 613,887 450,591 729,611 9,063,663 8,324,861 10.060,092 7,930,316 11,559,092 11,&35,493 8,8:37,572 7,992,554 8,.535,967 9,508,064 20,091,012 17,089,367 16,248,515 12.408,409 14,716,765 13,575,254 12,225,111 12.346,466 16,061,726 20,550,435 3,451 2,780 4,178 3,202 4,196 EXPORTS OF FRUITS FROM THE UNITED STATES FOR TEN YEARS YE.4R K.N-D- IN5 47,420 1,522,100 189(5 360,002 9.30.289 20.001 .9(53 1,340,.507 l,:37(i,2Hl 70,3.53 1,868,3.50 1897 1.. 503,987 2,371.143 30,775,4(11 1,:340,1.59 l,6S(i.7;2;3 43.276 2,172,199 1898 605,390 1,684.717 31,031.2.54 605.390 1,624,741 82,.504 3,.562,191 1899 380,222 1,210,4.59 19.305,7.39 :380,222 2,3:30,715 66,899 2,903,429 1900. . 526,636 1,444,655 34,964,010 2,247,851 :3,122,831 62,370 4,598,295 •3 1 mMMMM < 1 ; •■ ■•Ills Q II ; ; : :ii| w a w H w H O 5 :::li i 5 1 g 1 1i 1^ 1 ►J- 1 1 O z M U a < a u > <: mmml 1 2 1 ^mum < ^§ mm§.m iijlij.giil 06 5.ec — mis o CO S S tin -^ -vein at gf ^ _, „ „ u,' co' T-T t2 2 5 pi r^'^sf "^j' §5 "^ F S '^ °C '" O Tf «> liiiiiiiii" £2 S 2' tr *^ »-'^ "^ "^ I* I- iliiiiliSi i ^ :- 1 1 1 151 ■3 1 1 r IP |2 :i 1 1 1 III 'o- i « z si 1 i 1 1 ^ ipr-^ 1 i ^ 1 0 i; ■§ ili i 1 ^ 1 i'l -' ; 1 i 1 1^ IP": i OOI22 .! 3 1 1 USE i g ^ 5 ^ 1 : 1 1 mm 1 1 3 lip ;^s t 1 1 s§|i :?is 00 1 1 ^ 1 i 1 1 1 1 i 1 s g to 0, 8 1 1 ||S^fe|5 1 1 ~ ^ Mr 1 1 c w d2 : 1- 1 176 FRUIT HARVESTIN(;, STORING, MARKETING III. STATE FRUIT-PACKAGE EAWS The writer is unable to say with certainty that the fruit-package laws transcribed below are the only ones on the statute books in the United States and Canada ; but he has carefully looked after all the states likely to have such laws, and these are all that can be found. Even these are mostly moribund. The Missouri apple- barrel law, for instance, is entirely unknown to many of the best horticulturists in that state. Some of whom inquiry was made said there was no fruit-pack- age law in existence in Missouri. In no state in the Union is one of these laws enforced. In fact a study of the laws them.selves would give the entirest stranger the feeling that they were not seriously intended. Most of them have a manifestly perfunctory air about them. In most cases no adequate provision is made for their enforcement. In New York, for instance, no one is charged with the enforce- ment of the law. A man who considers himself de- frauded by short packages may bring action under the law, but he nuist do so at his own expense and risk. It seems to the writer that the practicability of a fruit-package law — at least, in the United States — may be seriously questioned. There is no den3 ing that anything which would tend to secure greater uniform- ity of packages, or which would tend to decrease fraudulent packing, would be a good thing. But con- siderable machinery would be required to make such a law effective ; and after it was all arranged it would be harder to operate the machinery than to avoid the trouble itself. APPExnix 177 At any rate, the laws now on the statute books seem to be highl}- insufficient. The course of future legislation can not be predicted, of course, but it is hardly likely that sufficient discontent will arise under the present organization of the fruit trade to give the force necessary to pass any new law stringent enough to count for much. Following are the laws which have been found un- repealed. Most of them are of comparatively recent date. THE NEW YORK SMALL-FRXHT PACKAGE LAW The New York small-fruit package law ( chap. 509, laws of 1899) is as follows: An Act to define the size of small-fruit packages. Became a law May 3, 1899, with the approval (jf the Governor. Passed, three fifths being present. The People of the State of Ne-u> York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows : Section i. Small-fruit packages. — The standard of meas- ures for buying and selling strawberries, raspberries, black- berries, currants, gooseberries, and other small fruits, shall be the quart, which shall contain when even full sixty-seven cubic inches; the pint when even full shall contain thirty- three and one-half cubic inches; the half-pint, which, when even full, shall contain sixteen and three-quarter cubic inches. Sec. 2. Marks on Imskets. — All manufacturers of small- fruit packages, such as quarts, pints, and half-pints, that make or cause to be made such packages that are of less size or capacity than the standard sizes as defined in Section i of this Act, shall mark each such quart, pint, and half-pint with the word "short" on the outside in letters not less than one- half inch in hight. 1 78 FRUIT HAKVHSTING, STORING, MARKETING Sec. 3. Penally. — .\ny person in this state who sells or offers to sell fruit packages that are of less than the standard sizes and capacity as defined in Section i, or any person who sells or ofTers for sale fruit in packages that are of less size or capacity than those defined in Section i, that are not marked with the word " short," as directed in Section 2, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof in any court of competent jurisdiction shall be fined not less than five dollars and not more than twenty-five dol- lars, and shall stand committed to the county jail until such fine and costs are paid. Sec. 4. This Act shall take effect January first, nineteen hundred. NEW YORK APPLE, PEAR, QUINCE, AND POTATO BARREL LAW (Laws of 1899, chap. 317.) An Act to amend the domestic commerce law in relation to the size of apple, pear, quince, and potato barrels. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: Section i. Section nine of chapter three hundred and seventy-six of the laws of eighteen hundred and ninety-six, entitled " An act relating to domestic commerce law, consti- tuting chapter thirty-four of the general laws," is hereby amended to read as follows: Sec. g. Barrels of apples, quinces, pears, and potatoes. — A barrel of pears, quinces, or potatoes shall represent a quantity equal to one hundred quarts of grain or dry measure. A barrel of apples shall be of the following dimensions: head diameter, seventeen and one-eighth inches; length of stave, twenty-eight and one-half inches: bulge, not less than sixty- four inches outside measurement. Every person buying or selling apples, pears, quinces, or potatoes in this state by the barrel shall be understood as referring to the quantity or size of the barrel specified in this section, but when potatoes are AP-PHNDTX 179 sold by weight the quantity constituting a barrel shall be one hundred and seventy-four pounds. No person shall make, or cause to be made, barrels holding less than the quantity herein specified, knowing or having reason to believe that the same are to be used for the sale of apples, quinces, pears, or pota- toes, unless such barrel is plainly marked on the outside thereof with the words " short barrel" in letters of not less than one inch in hight. No person in this state shall use barrels hereafter made for the sale of such articles of a size less than the size specified in this section. Every person violating any provision of this section shall forfeit to the people of the state a sum of five dollars for every barrel put up made or used in violation of such provision. Sec. 2. This act shall take effect immediately. MASSACHUSETTS BERRY-BASKET LAW L,ate in the spring of igoi the Massachusetts legis- lature passed the following law : An Act relative to the size of berry baskets. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follozus : Sections one and two of chapter three hundred and thirty- nine of the acts of the year nineteen hundred are hereby amended to read as follows: Section i. Every basket or other receptacle containing one quart or less, used or intended to be used in the sale of strawberries, blackberries, cherries, currants, and goose- berries, shall be of the capacity of one quart, one pint, or one- half pint, Massachusetts standard dry measure. Sec. 2. Whosoever sells or offers for sale any such basket or other receptacle, containing one quart or less, not conforming to said standard to be used in the sale of any of the aforesaid fruit, and whoever sells or offers for sale any of the aforesaid fruit in any such basket or other receptacle, containing one quart or less, not conforming to the said stand- I So FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING ard, shall be punished by a fine of not less than five dollars nor more than ten dollars for each offense. DELAWARE Section 22 of chapter 216 of the laws of Delaware, relating to the State Board of Agriculture, deals with the subject of fruit packages. The text follows: The said Board of Agriculture shall have power to com- pel all growers of fruit to stamp or mark the baskets, boxes, packages, crates, parcels, or other receptacles used by them for the shipment of any fruit or fruits, with his, her or their name or names, initial or initials, or with some distinguishing device or mark which may be readily and easily read and seen on the same; and said Board may adopt rules and regulations to carry this into effect. If any grower of any fruit or fruits shall neglect or fail, after ten days' notice of said Board to comply with the provisions of this section, he or she or they shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction thereof shall forfeit and pay a fine of five dollars. — From Bulletin No. I, Delaware State Board of Agrictdture, April ib, igoi . NEW JERSEY PEACH-BASKET LAW An Act for the protection of peach growers in the State of New Jersey, and to prevent deception in the size of peach baskets. Approved March 23, 1S92. Section i. That the standard size of peach baskets in the State of New Jersey shall be sixteen quarts Winchester half-bushel measure; that the height of the basket shall be twelve and one-quarter inches, and that the width across the top shall be thirteen and one-half inches, and that the inside measurement shall contain one thousand and seventy-five and ten one-hundredths cubic inches, and that such basket shall be marked ' Standard, N. J.," upon the staves just below the rim in Roman letters, which shall be burned on or printed thereon with permanent red paint in a straight line, and each APPENDIX l8l of them shall not be less than one inch in length, and not less than one-half inch in width, and that every person who shall manufacture for sale, or who shall offer or expose for sale any basket to be used for shipping or selling peaches not stand- ard, shall distinctly and durably stamp, brand or mark upon such basket upon the stave just below the rim the number of quarts such basket contains. Sec. 2. That every person who shall manufacture, sell, or offer or e.xpose for sale, or have in his or her possession with intent to sell, or to use any peach basket or baskets not stamped, branded or marked as required by the first section of this act to be stamped, branded or marked, shall for every such offense forfeit and pay a fine of not less than twenty- five dollars, and not more than fifty dollars, to be recovered with costs, in any of the courts of this state having cogni- zance thereof, in any action to be prosecuted by any prosecu- ting attorney in ihe name of the state, and the one-half of such recovery shall be paid to the informer, and the residue shall be applied to the support of the poor in the county where such recovery is had. Sec. 3. That all acts and parts of acts inconsistent with this act be and the same are hereby repealed, and this act shall take effect the first day of September, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-two. MISSOURI APPLE-BARREL LAW The Mis.souri apple-barrel law (Mo. R. vS. 1899, Section 10.576) is as follows : Whenever apples shall be sold l)y the barrel, and no special agreement is made as to the size of the barrel by the parties, the size shall be as follows: Langth of barrel, twenty- eight and one-half inches (28 J/^), with chines of three-fourths of an inch at the ends; the diameter of the heads shall be seventeen and one-fourth inches (i1%), and the diameter of the center of the barrel inside shall be twenty and one-half inches (2o>^). 1 82 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING CANADIAN KRUIT-PACKAGE LAW Chapter 26, sections 4 and 5, of the statutes of 1 90 1, Dominion of Canada, make the following pro- visions : Section 4. (i) All apples packed in Canada for export for sale by the barrel in closed barrels shall be packed in good and strong barrels of seasoned wood having dimensions not less than the following, namely: twenty-six inches and one- fourth between the heads, inside measure, and a head diam- eter of seventeen inches, and a middle diameter of eighteen inches and one-half, representing as nearly as possible ninety- six quarts. (2) When apples, pears, or quinces are sold by the barrel, as a measure of capacity, such barrel shall not be of lesser dimensions than those specified in this section. Every person who offers or exposes for sale, or who packs for exportation, apples, pears, or quinces by the barrel, other- wise than in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this section, shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a penalty of twenty-five cents for each barrel of apples, pears, or quinces so offered or exposed for sale or packed. Sec. 5. (i) Every box of berries or currants offered for sale and every berry box manufactured and offered for sale in Canada shall be plainly marked on the side of the box, in black letters at least half an inch square, with the word " Short," unless it contains when level-full as nearly exactly as practicable — («) at least four-fifths of a quart, or ((i) two-fifths of a quart. (2) Every basket of fruit offered for sale in Canada, unless stamped on the side plainly in black letters at least three- quarters of an inch deep and wide, with the word "Quart" in full, preceded with the minimum number of quarts, omitting fractions, which the baskets will hold when level-full shall APPENDIX 183 contain, when level-full one or other of the fallowing quan- tities:— («) fifteen quarts or more; (/') eleven quarts, and be five and three-quarter inches deep, perpendicularly, inside measurement, as nearly exactly as practicable; (i) six and two-thirds quarts, and be four and five-eighths inches deep, perpendicularly, inside measurement, as nearly exactly as practicable; or (t/) two and two-fifths quarts, as nearly exactly as practi- cable. (3) Every person who neglects to comply with any pro- vision of this section, and any person who sells or offers for sale any fruit or berry boxes in contravention of this section, shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine of not less than twenty-five cents for each basket or box so sold or offered for sale. (4) This section shall come into effect on the first day of February, one thousand nine hundred and two. CANADIAN FRUIT MARKS ACT OF I9OI Chapter 27, statutes of 1901, assented to May 23, 1 901, makes the follovvnng provisions: 1. This Act may be cited as JVic Fruit Marks Act, igoi. 2. This Act shall come into operation on the first day of July, 1901. 3. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires: — (^ S. Water Street, Vegetables, Fruits, Produce. Theo. C. H. Wegeforth & Co., 133 S. Water Street, Fruits and General Produce. J. H. White & Co., 104-106 S. Water Street, Eggs, Butter, Poultry, Veal, Game. CINCINNATI, O. F. Ankenbauer & Sons, irS-iiS!^^.> E. Front Street, Fruits and Produce. Armacost, Riley & Co., in E. Front Street, Fruits and General Produce. H. C. Beekley & Co., 244 W. Sixth Street, Fruits and Produce. I. J. Cannon & Co., no E. Front Street, Fruits and Vegetables. John Curren & Co., 29 Walnut Street, Fruits and Produce. C. M. Davidson & Co., 112 E. Front Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. F. Delsignore & Co., 114-116 E. Front Street, Foreign and California Fruits. 196 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING F. Devoto & Bro., 108 E. Front Street, Foreign and Domestic PVuits, Berries. M. Fugazzi & Co., 132-134 W. Sixth Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Funck Brothers, 228-230 W. Sixth Street, Southern Fruits and Vegetables. Glas, Bloom & Co., 115-117 E. Front Street, Green and Dried Fruits, Produce. J. B. Hammer & Co., 125 E. Front Street, Fruits and General Produce. D. Hoppe & Co., 31 Walnut Street, Eggs, Butter, Poultry, Game, Fruits. J. Leverone & Co., 100-102 E. Front Street, Fruits and Vegetables. G. E. Markley & Co., 212-214 W. Sixth Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits, Vegetables. F. J. Nobel, 20S W. Sixth Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Hot-house Products. Pieper & Berghegger, 138 W. Court Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Butter, Eggs. Henry Ransick & Sons, 226 W. Sixth Street, Fruits and Produce. P. J. Reitz & Co., 121 E. Front Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Smith, Reiley & Co., 204 W. Sixth Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Telker & Dunker, 118 E. Court Street, Fruits, Produce, Butter, Eggs, Poultry. Weil, Brockman & Co., 109 E. Front Street, Fruits and Vegetables. S. & M. Weil & Co., 106 E. Front Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Berries, Melons. CLEVELAND, O. W, A. Banks Co., S4-86 Broadway, Fruits and Produce. Corse Brothers, 115 Broadway, Wholesale Fruits. A. R. Duncan, Jr., 119-121 Sheriff Street, Butter, Cheese, Eggs, Poultry, Produce. Haas Brothers, 76-78 Broadway, Fruits and General Produce. APPENDIX 197 Hayes, Blair & Co., 120 Broadway, Tropical and Domestic Fruits, Produce. Hurd & Ricksecker, 9 Huron Street, P>uits and Produce. The Kelley Co., 150-152 Sheriff Street, Fruit, Produce, and Seeds. D. Martin & Co., 84-86 Broadway, Fruits and Produce. Myers. Weil & Deutch, 10-12 Huron Street, General Fruit and Produce Commission Merchants. The C. U. Nokes Co., 36-38 Huron Street, Fruits and General Produce. Strauss & Joseph, 91 Broadway, Wholesale Produce Commission. George Willard, 270 Pearl Street, Wholesale Commission Merchant. COLUMBUS, O. Henry Becker, 121 S. Fourth Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Butler, Eggs. William M. Fisher & Sons, 120-124 E. Town Street, Fruits and Produce. Evans & Turner, Town Street, cor. Fourth, Fruits and Produce. Pletsch & Sutton, Town Street, cor. Fourth, Fruits and Vegetables. William Larimore, 129 S. Fourth Street, Fruits and Produce. Sutton Brothers, 11 3-1 15 S. Fourth Street. Fruits and Produce. Henry Turkopp & Co., Town and Third Steets, Foreign and Domestic ?>uits. J. P. Vail & Sons, 114 E. Town Street, Fruits and Produce, Butter and Eggs. DENVER, COL. The Donaldson & Howard Com. Co., 154S-1550 Market Street, Fruits and Produce. Humphreys Commission Co., 1 520-1522 Market Street, Fruits and Produce. 198 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING F. H. Leonard & Co., 1528-1530 Market Street, Butter, Cheese, and Eggs. The Liebhardt Commission Co., 1624-1630 Market Street, Fruits and Produce. Pinkett Brothers, 1645 Market Street, Butter, Eggs, and Poultry. DETROIT, MICH. Lichtenberg & Sons, 19-25 W. Woodbridge Street, Fruits, Produce, Beans, etc. Walker Egg and Produce Co., 54-56 Woodbridge Street, Fruits and Produce. Edward Read, 26 W. Woodbridge Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Beans, etc. H. F. Rose & Co., 24 W. Woodbridge Street, Fruits and Produce. Charles W. Rudd, 31 W. Woodbridge Street, Fruits and Produce. Alfred Rush & Sons, 45-49 Woodward Avenue, Fruits and Produce. D. O. Wiley & Co., 20 Woodbridge Street, Fruits, Produce, Beans, etc. INDIANAPOLIS, IND. J. H. Crall & Co., 122 S. Delaware Street, Fruits and Vegetables. George Hitz & Co., 30-32 and 6S-70 S. Delaware Street, Fruits and Produce. James L. Keach, 112 S. Delaware Street, Fruits and Produce. John W. Neumann & Co., 118-120 S. Delaware Street, Fruits and Produce. E. F. Shideler & Co., 43-45 S. Delaware Street, Fruits and General Produce. Syerup & Co., 22-24 S. Delaware Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits, Vegetables. George B, Walton & Co., 3G S. Delaware Street, Fruits and General Produce. The D. A. Williams Produce and Commission Co., 131 E. Maryland Street. APPENDIX 199 KANSAS CITY. MO. A. W. Bear Commission Co., 119 E. P'ourth Street, Butter. Eggs, and Poultry. T. C. Bottom & Co., 540 Walnut Street, Fruit and Vegetables. C. C. demons & Co., 204 Temple Block, Wholesale Fruits and Produce. O. C. Evans & Co., 302 Delaware Street, Apples, Potatoes, Onions, and Cabbage. C. M. Fairing & Co., 409 Walnut Street, Butter, Eggs, Poultry, and Cheese. Ginocchio-Jones Fruit Co., 519-321 Walnut Street. Foreign and Domestic Fruits. A. S. Haines & Son, 112 W. Fourth Street, Fruits, Vegetables, and Produce. H. Kesting, 411 Walnut Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits and Nuts. Papendick Produce Co., 310 Grand Avenue, Eggs, Butter, and Poultry. P. V. Rocco, Bro. & Co., 515-517 Walnut Street, Fruits, Nuts, etc. D. E. Smeltzer & Co., 520 Walnut Street, Small Fruits, Celery, and Vegetables. LOUISVILLE, KY. John T. Allen & Co., 108-110 W. Jefferson Street, Fruits and Vegetables. E. H. Bowen & Co., 119-123 Washington Street, Apples, Potatoes, Onions, Beans. Jos. Denunzio Fruit Co., 316 and 322 W. Jefferson Street, Fruits and Nuts. A. M. Emler, 241 Jefferson Market, Potatoes, Onions, Apples, and Cabbage. Charles H. Kahlert, 619 W. Market Street, Fruits, Produce, and Vegetables. Kohlhepp & lula, 204 E. Jefferson Street, Fruits and General Produce. Mayer, Mitchell & Co., 215 E. Jefferson Street, Fruits, Vegetables, etc John Schaefer & Sons, 331 E. Market Street, Potatoes, Onions, Apples, Cabbage, etc. 200 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING Schwarz Brothers, 941 to 945 E. Market Street, Potatoes, Onions and Onion Sets. D. B. Sperry, 214-216 Second Street, Apples. Potatoes, Beans, Onions, etc. Thompson & Co., 210-212 Jefferson Market, Fruits, Vegetables, Melons, etc. MEMPHIS, TENN. D. Canale & Co., 329 Main Street, Fruits and Produce. M. E. Carter & Co., Memphis, Tenn., Fruits and Produce. T. C. Guinee & Co., Front Street, Fruits and Produce. L. Lawhorn & Co., 342 Front Street, Fruits, Produce, and Potatoes. Seessel & Ashner, 336 Front Street, Fruits and Produce. MILWAUKEE, WIS. E. R. Godfrey & Sons Co., 257-259 Broadway, Fruits and Produce. Nichols, Janssen & Klein, 277 Broadway, Fruits and Vegetables. Pastorino & Schiappacasse, 287 Broadway, Fruits and Nuts. A. J. W. Pierce Co., 305 Broadway, Fruits and Vegetables. J. Seefeld & Son, 283-285 Broadway, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. R. Stafford Co., 265 Broadway, Fruits, Produce, and Grocers' Specialties. Charles A. Schmidt & Co., 261-263 Broadway, Fruits and Produce. J. H. Wussow & Co., 269 Broadway, Fruits and Produce. MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. G. L. Bradley & Co., 21 and 22 Central Market, Butter, Eggs, Cheese, and Beans. Connery Fruit Company, 601 to 609 Second Avenue, N., Fruits, Nuts, Figs, Dates. Gamble-Robinson Commission Company, 224-226 Sixth Street, N., Fruits and Produce. APPENDIX 20I Grinnell, Collins & Co., 212-214 Sixth Street, N., Fruits and Produce. Hillman Bros., 204-206 Sixth Street, N., Fruits, Vegetables. Dairy Products. Longfellow Bros. & Co., 20S Sixth Street, N., Fruits, Foreign and Domestic. Porter Brothers Co., 22S-230 Sixth Street, N., Foreign and Domestic Fruits. E. P. Stacy & Sons, 200-202 Sixth Street, N., Foreign and Domestic Fruits. MOBILE, ALA. Mertz, Ibach & Co., 4 N. Commerce Street, Fruit, Grain, Flour, Produce. Muscat & Lott, 64 S. Commerce Street, Fruit, Produce, Poultry, Eggs. Roh & Partridge, 58 N. Commerce Street, Fruit and Produce. NEW ORLEANS, LA. Bernard Antony & Co., 451 S. Peters Street, Fruits and Produce. Joseph A. Ball, 403-405 S. Peters Street, Fruits and Produce. Barbot & Stork, 217 Poydras, cor. Fulton Street, Fruits and Produce. Louis Darring, 319 Poydras Street, Fruits, Produce, and Vegetables. George W. Davidson & Co., 45-47 Poydras Street, Fruits and Produce. Stephen D'Amico, Poydras cor. Fulton Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruit. H. J. Laux & Co., 211 Poydras Street, Brokers and Commission Merchants. Philip Nagele, 49 Poydras Street, Fruits and Produce. Noble & Saulter, 407-409 S. Peters Street, Fruits and Produce. S. Oteri, 403 S. Front Street, Wholesale Fruit and Produce. Jos. Rittiner & Co., 321-323 Poydras Street, Fruits and Produce. 202 FRUIT HARVKSTING, STORING, MARKETING Charles Roth, 201 Foydras Street, Fruits and Produce. Seessel, Ashner & Sugarman, 529-533 Poydras Street, Fruits and Produce. Segari & Meyer, 405 S. Peters Street, Fruits and Produce. A. Spano & Co., 207 Poydras Street, Fruits and Vegetables. NEW YORK J. H. Bahrenburg, Bro. & Co., 105 Murray Street, Fruits and Produce. Bennett & Hall, i6i West Street, Fruits and Produce. E. A. Brown, 306 Washington Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Poultry. Game, Eggs. R. W. Dixon & Son, 266 Washington Street, Fruits, Produce, Poultry, Game. S. B. Downes & Co., 203 Duane Street, Fruits and Produce, Dressed Poultry. Henry Elwell & Co., 310 Washington Street, Berries, Peaches, Produce. Charles Forster, 44 Harrison Street, Fruits and Vegetables. S. H. & E. H. Frost, 319 Washington, cor. Jay Street, Fruits and Vegetables. G. Furman & Co., West Washington Market, Fruits and Produce. Furman & Page, 112 Warren Street, Fruits, V^egetables, and Produce. William Gamble & Co., 1S5 Reade Street, Fruits and Vegetables, Butter, Eggs. J, H. Killough & Co., 157 and 158 West Street, Fruits and Produce. Austin Kimball & Co., 78 Park Place, Fruits and Vegetables. E. P. Loomis & Co., 95 Barclay Street, Fruits and Produce. McCormick, Hubbs & Co., 297 Washington Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. John Nix & Co., 281 Washington Street, F"ruits and Produce. APPENDIX 203 Phillips & Sons, 108 Murray, near Washington Street, Fruits, Produce, Poultry. Calves. P. Ruhlxnan & Co., 261 Washington Street, Foreign and Domestic Green Fruits. Schott & Franke, 280 Washington Street, Fruits and Vegetables. A. F. Young & Co., Duane, cor. Washington Street, \'egetables and Fruits. OMAHA, NEB. O. W. Butts, Soi t6 811 Jones Street, California, Florida, and Tropical Fruits. G. W. Icken & Co., 1207 Howard Street, Fruits, Game and Produce. Perry, Bauer & Ennis, 1213 Howard Street, Butter, Eggs, Poultry, and Game. W. E. Riddell, 413 S. Eleventh Street. Butter, Eggs, and Poultry. H. G. Streight & Co., 1017 Howard Street, Fruits and Vegetables. PHILADELPHIA, PA. Barker & Co., 321-323 N. Front Street, Fruits and Produce. Brown & McMahon, 334 N. Front Street, Fruits and Vegetables. G. W. Butterworth, N. E. cor. Second and Dock Streets, Fruits and Vegetables. S. S. Darmon, 120 Spruce Street, Fruits, Produce, and Vegetables. J. D. Hendrickson, 302 N. Front Street, Apples, Potatoes, and Other Produce. C. G. Justice, 123 Dock Street, Fruits and Vegetables. W. H. Michael & Son, 114 Dock Street, F"ruits and Vegetables. Roberts & Andrews, 129-131 Callowhill Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Edward Roberts, 226-228 N. Delaware Avenue, Fruits and Vegetables. R. A. Shetzline & Sons, i Vine Street, Fruits and Vegetables. William Smith & Co., 336 N. Front Street. Fruits, V^egetables, and Poultry. 204 FRUIT HARVESTING, STORING, MARKETING J. W. Thorn & Co., 325 N. Water Street, Apples, Potatoes, and Onions. William Weinert & Co., S. W. cor. Front and Vine Streets, Fruits and Produce. J. P. Wilson, 116 Dock Street, Fruits, Vegetables, Poultry, Eggs. E. S. Woodward, 122 Dock Street. Fruits and Vegetables. PITTSBURGH, PA. Ash & Baldwin, 937-939 Liberty Avenue, General Produce. Crutchfield & Woolfolk, 613 Liberty Street, Fruits and Produce. Dale & Cannon, 640 Grant Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Dennis Hayes, 646 Grant Street, Vegetables, Berries, etc. Iron City Produce Co., 623 Liberty Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. H. J. McCracken & Co., 644 Grant Street, General Produce. W. E. Osborne Co., 635 Liberty Street, Fruits and Produce. Seward & Kurts, 640 Grant Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. Albert M. Travis, 645 Liberty Avenue, Fruit and Produce Commission Merchant. John Wallace, 631 Liberty Street, Fruits and Vegetables, Eggs, Poultry. RICHMOND, VA. William Jenkins & Sons, 1311 E. Gary Street, Fruits and Vegetables. J. D. Mclntire & Co., 1320 Gary Street, Fruits and Vegetables. F. S. Padgett & Co., 1303 E. Gary Street, Butter, Eggs, and Poultry. John T. Powers, E. Gary Street, Fruits and Vegetables. W. F. Seymour, 1317 E. Gary Street, Butter, Fruit, and Vegetables. APPENDIX 205 ST. LOUIS. MO. F. W. Brockman Commission Co., 805-809 N. Third Street, Eggs, Poultry, Butter. George G. Fairham & Bro., qiS-920 N. Third Street, Fruits and Produce, Gerber Fruit Co., 910-912 N. Third Street, Fruits and Produce. Gunn Fruit Co., 938-940 N. Third Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. Haueisen Bros., 1017-1019 N. Third Street. Fruits and Produce. P. M. Kiely & Co., 914 N. Third Street, Fruits and Vegetables. Conrad Schopp & Co., Northwest cor. Franklin Ave., Fruits and Vegetables. George P. Schopp & Co., 721-723 N. Third Street, Fruits, Produce, and Vegetables. Shaw & Richmond, 829-831 W. Third Street, Fruits and Produce. Trescher & Miller, 922 N. Third Street, Game. Poultry, Eggs, Fruits, and Vegetables. ST. PAUL, MINN. R. E. Cobb, 31-33 E. Third Street. Fruits and Produce. Dore & Redpath, 70-72 E. Third Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits, Produce. R. A. Durkee, 132 E. Third Street, Fruits and Produce. C. C. Emerson & Co., 26 E. Third Street, Fruits and Produce. J. W. Fillebrown, 114 E. Third Street, Fruits and Vegetables. John B. Hoxsie, 103 E. Third Street. Fruits and Produce. J. E. Mulrooney & Co., 79 E. Third Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. Minnesota Butter & Cheese Co., 61-63 E. Third Street, Butter and Cheese. B. Presley & Co., E. Third Street, Foreign and Domestic Fruits. 2o6 FRUIT HARVKSTING, STORING, WARKHTING , VI. COMMISSION CHARGES The regular rate of commission for making retail sales of fruit, even when these fruits arrive in carload lots, is ten per cent. Large shippers, however, by making special agreement with commission houses, often get better rates. In the subjoined table, taken from the American Agriculturist Year Book, 1898, p. 482, the commission charges are given as actually made at various points, but they apply as a rule to relatively small lots. ACTUAL, COMMISSIONS CHARGED FOR HANDI,ING .R ^ § ii •ii (3 s ^ % % % 10@15 10 5 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 5 5 5c. bu. ,5(0)10 5 10@15 10 5 10 10 10 5 .5 .5 5 .5 .5 5 .■) 5 % Apples Oranges Small Fruits . . . Dried Fruits . . . Potatoes Onions Fresh Vegetables Butter Eggs Poultry 10 10 10 5@10 10 10 5@10 5 5 5 10 10 5 7@10 7@10 10 5 5 5 % 8@10 8@,10 7@10 5@10 10 10 10 10 10 10 VII. SHIPMENT IN REFRIGERATOR CARS The following notes on the transportation of fruits in refrigerator cars are given in a recent number of Rural New Yorker ( " W. W. H.," in Rural New Yorker, 60 : 259, April 6, 1901): " The use of cold storage in the transportation of fruits has increased greatly of late years, and we find a growing interest in this business from Canada to the south. Perishable APPEXDIX 207 products are thus put into distant markets, and the season during which they may be had by consumers is very much lengthened. Take strawberries, for example. Instead of having them in the New York market for three months, as would be the limit if we had to depend on what could be sent here without ice, they are on hand for eight months, although part of the time too expensive to be used by people of moder- ate means. Still, there are many who are willing to pay thirty to sixty cents per quart for strawberries in January. A few years ago the quantity received during the winter season was very limited, and these sometimes sold as high as $5 per quart. "As soon as the growers found that the fruit, of which they could sell but a small quantity at home, could be sent to distant points so as to arrive in good condition and bring a price that would give fair pay for their time and labor, those who had been raising only garden patches branched out into acres, and from Florida and the Carolinas the output increases from now and then a scattered carload to dozens and scores. This put new life into sections of the south that had been practically dead, so far as outside trade was concerned; labor was in demand, farm property increased in value, and in many places these conditions still hold good. Of course, as always happens, there were some who went into this business too deeply on the start, and suffered severe loss. " The earliest strawberries come from Florida and Cali- fornia the latter part of December. At that season the quan- tity shipped is so small that no grower has a carload at any one time, so he uses the refrigerator chest. This is a heavy box made in various sizes from forty-eight to one hundred or more quarts. The first of these cases made were crude affairs. The berries got badly shaken in handling, and the water from the melting ice soaked them, so that they were in bad shape when opened. Improvements have been made to such an ex- tent now that the berries are not damaged at all, opening up in as fine condition as when packed. As cold naturally goes down instead of up, the ice is put in a tight galvanized iron tray in the top of the chest, and the cover shuts down closely 2oS 1OOKS sent to all parts of the world for catalog ^ price. Discounts for large quantities on appli- cation. Correspondence invited. Brief descriptive catalog free. Large illustrated catalog, six cents : : : RECENT BOOKS BY THOMAS SHAW Professor of Auimal Husbandry at the University of Minnesota, formerly Professor of Agriculture at the Ontai io .agricultural College. Animal Breeding The most complete and comprehensive work ever published on the subject of which it treats, and the first book of the kind ever given to the world which has systematized the subject of animal breeding. The striking originality in the treatment of the subject is no less con- spicuous than the superb order and regular sequence of thought from the beginning to the end of the book. Illustrated. 5 x « inches, 13 full-page plates, about 400 pages. $1.50. 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The book covers the whole ground of propagating small fruits, their culture, varieties, packing for market, etc. Illustrated. 5x8 inches. Cloth. |i.oo. Gardening for Profit Bv Peter Henderson. The standard work on market and family gardening The successful experience of the author for more than thirty years and his willingness to tell, as he does in this work, the secret "of his .success for the benefit of others, enables him to give most valuable information. The book is profusely illustrated. Cloth, i2mo. I1.50. Market Gardening and Farm Notes. By Burnett Landreth. Experiences and observation for both North and South, of interest to the amateur gardener, trucker and far:ner. A novel feature of the book is the calendar of farm and garden operations for each month of the year; the chapters on fertil- izers, transplanting, succession and rotation of crops, the packing, shipping, and marketing of vegetables will be especially useful to The Nut Culturist. By Andrew S. Fuller. A treatise on the propagation, planting and cultivation of nut-bearing trees and shrubs adapted to the cli- mate of the United States, with the scientific and common names of the fruits known in commerce as edible or otherwise useful nuts. Intended to aid the farmer to increase his income without adding to his expenses or labor. Cloth, izmo. $1.50. Greenhouse Management. By 1,. R. Taft. This book forms an almost indispensable compan- ion volume to "Greenhouse Construction." In it the author gives the results of his many years' experience, together with that of the most successful florists and gardeners, in the management of grow- ing plants under glass. So minute and practical are the various systems and methods of growing and forcing roses, violets, carna- tions, an 1 all the most important florists' plants, as well as fruits and vegetables described, that by a careful study of this work and the following of its teachings, failure is almost impossible. Illus- trated. Cloth, i2mo. J1.50. Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants. By C. Iv. Allen. A complete historj', description, methods of prop- agation and full directions for the successful culture of bulbs in the garden, dwelling or greenhouse. The illustrations which embellish this work have been drawn from nature, and have been engraved especially for this book. The cultural directions are p.ainly stated, practical and to the point. Cloth, i2mo. I1.50. Ornamental Gardening for Americans. By Elias a. IvOng, landscape architect. A treatise on beautifying homes, rural districts and cemeteries. A plain and practical work, with immerous illu.strations and instructions so plain that they may be readily followed. Illustrated. Cloth, izmo. $1.50. The American Merino. For Wool or for Mutton. By Stephen Povi'ers. A practical and most valuable work on the selection, care, breeding, and diseases of the Merino sheep, in all sec- tions of the United States. It is a full and exhaustive treatise upon this one breed of sheep. Cloth, izmo. $1.50. The Hop — Its Culture and Care, Marketing and Manufac- ture. By Herbert Mvrick. a practical handbook on the most approved methods in growing, harvesting, curing and selling hops, and on the use and manufacture of hops. The result of years of research and observation, it is a volume destined to be an authority on this crop for many years to come. It takes up every detail frorn preparing the soil and laying out the yard, to curing and selling the crop. Every line represents the ripestjudgment and experience of experts. Size, 5 X S: pages. 300; illustrations, nearly 150; bound in cloth and gold; price Ji.so, postpaid. Ginseng— Its Cultivation, Harvesting, Marketing, and Mar- ket Value. By Maurice G. Kains, with a short account of its history and bot- any It discusses in a practical way how to begin with either seed or roots, soil, climate ancl location, preparation, planting and mainte- nance of the beds, artificial propagation, manures, enemies, selection for market and for improvement, preparation for sale, and the profits that may be expected. The booklet is concisely written, well and profusely illustrated, and shouU be in the hands of all who expect to grow this drug to supply the export trade, and to add a new and profitable industry to their farms and gardens, without interfering with the regular work. i2mo. 35 cents. Land Draining. By Manly Miles. A handbook for farmers on the principles and practice of draining, giving the results of his extended experience in laying tile drains. The directions for the laying out and the con- struction of tile drains will enable the farmer to avoid the errors of imperfect construction and the disappointment that must necessarily follow. Cloth, i2mo. $1.00. Practical Forestry. By Andrew S. Fuller. A treatise on the propagation, planting and cultivation, with descriptions and the botanical and popular names of all the indigenous trees of the United States, and notes on a large number of the most valuable exotic species. J 1.50. Mushrooms. How to Grow Them. By William Falconer. This is the most practical work on the subject ever written, and the only book on growing mushrooms pub- lished in America. The author describes how he grows mushrooms, and how they are grown for profit by the leading market gardeners, and for home use by the most successful private growers. Engra- vings drawn from nature expressly for this work. Cloth. $1.00. The Propagation of Plants, By Andrew S. Fuller. Illustrated with numerous engravings. An eminently practical and useful work. Describing the process of hybridizing and crossing, and also the many different modes by which cultivated plants may be propagated and multiplied. • Cloth, i2mo. $1.50. Silos, Ensilage, and Silage. By Manly Miles, M.D., F.R.M.S. A practical treatise on theensi- lage of fodder corn. Containing the most recent and authentic infor- mation on this important subject. Illustrated. Cloth, i2mo. 50 cents. Play and Profit in My Garden. By E. P. Roe. The author takes us to his garden on the rocky hill- -sides in the vicinity of West Point, and shows us how out of it, after four vears' experience, he evoked a profit of $1,000, and this while carrying on pastoral and literary labor. It is very rarely that so much literary taste and skill are mated to so much agricultural ex- perience and good sense. Cloth, i2mo. $1.00. Grape Culturist. By Andrew S. Fuller. This is one of the very best of works on the culture of the hardy grapes, with full directions for all depart- ments of propagation, culture, etc., with 150 excellent engravings, illustrating planting, training, grafting, etc' Cloth, lamo. $1.50. krs>6^