COOL STORAGE OF FRUIT.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 31 January 1912, Page 4

COOL STORAGE OF FRUIT.

Mr W. A. Boucher writing in the Journal of Agriculture says:—For many years past considerable importance has been attached to the cool storage of fruit in the United States, Canada, Australia, Tasmania, and many others countries. In New Zeahowever, fruitgrowers' in general hardly yet seem to realise : to the full .extent the bearing that cool storage will have upon the development of the industry and the marketing of fruit crops. It is well recognised that the demand in the local market at any specified time must have a limit in proportion to population and some other conditions, and that if th.3 supply during any part of the season exceeds the demand to any great extent a glut will • follow, and the values realised ty growers must necessarily be unremunerative. Should this occur at all fre>* quently not only will the banting account of the grower suffer but orchard lands will also depreciate in value, the latter especially being a very consideration. ' . . It is obvious, therefore, that growers should take a deep interest in every method of frurHnarketing which has any bearing on the important question of regulating the supply to meet the demand throughout the year, and thus maintain average remunerative prices. In this connection, cool stor-* age— .especially of apples and some variety of pears—as a, means of regulating the supply and also prolong* ing the season during which locally grown fruits can be marketed does not |eem to have received the attention that it deserves, This is due in part no doubt to the, fact that during the past few years the average values 1 of well-graded well-packed apples and pears of good varieties have been well maintained, consequently growers ■ have had no vevy strong incentive to concern themselves with any other means of marketing except by direct sale through the usual channels to the consumer. However, owing to a period of well earned prosperity growers should not allow themselves to be .lulled into a senso of absolute security with regard to the future, but should rather bestir themselves to develop sound methods of, regulating the supply to meet the demand. During the past few seasons very extensive planting of orchards has "been carried out in^ the fruitgrowing districts throughout the Dominion, extending in the aggregate to several thousands'of acres. Many of those earlier planted are now coming into , bearing, and with each season the extent of bearing orchards will increase considerably. With the output steadily expanding season by season it is now time to develop such a method as cool storage,'in order that the industry as a whole may not suffer. It is not to be supposed that our markets cannot absorb at profitable prices to growers considerably more fruit than is now available. As a matter of fact. ' our markets are more than half-starved over a considerable period each, season. Our imports of dutiable fresh fruits— that is, fxuita that can produce hereconsisting principally, of apples an d pears, are usually, heavy. The estimated value for the year ending 30th September, 1909, was £47.905, for the annual period ending 30th Septera • ber, 1910, was £42,712, and for that ending3othSeptember, 1911, £56,687, These figures furnish a very strong argument in favour of careful control over the markets during the mid-sea-son, and the prolonging of the period of maiketing by placing in cool storage any surplus that would serve to depreciate mid-season values to any great extent. Annually for some years past the Department has placed in the cool chambers of the Auckland Farmers' Co-opera+ive Freezing Company con» sidei able quantities of fruit, comprising a large number of varieties of apples and pears, affording a very severe test, as the fruit was gathered in varyin getages of ripeness. For the mott part the results (the fruit in some instances being forwarded very Jong distances before being placed in the cool chamber) have been in every way satisfactory, the fruit after storage having been shown at winter shows throughout the D iminion. Important poicts to be noted in conned ion with the cool storage of apples and pears are :— \l.) ..That cool storage retards the normal rapid or fairly rapid ripening of the fruit. Consequently, most varieties should be well matured and < well coloured, but gathered a little on the green side, to achieve the best re* suits. - (2.) Bruised or blemished fruit. or fruit attacked by Tjest or disease, Bhould not be placed in cool storage. (3.) That ripe or over ripe pears will not keep sound. ' (4.) That immature fruits shrivel (<?.) That apples of soffc texture when ripe should be gathered for cool storage before becoming fu'.ly ripe. It is very satisfactory to note that varieties of esteemed,commercial yalu6 for the local trade or for export gave excellent results on the whole. Further notes on the subject, covering the rules to he observed in the . various details, will appear in subsequent issues of the Journal.