32S STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



time went on, upon the fruit kept in the dry air than upon that in the air 

 which was saturated with moisture. The importance of hindering the fruit 

 from coming too quickly to full maturity was further illustrated in these 

 experiments by the fact that the first apples to decay were those which were 

 the ripest, — that is to say, most mature, — at the beginning of the experiments. 



It was found to be true of apples kept upon shelves in the cellar, that they 

 gave off more water by evaporation in a given time when they were green than 

 they did afterwards, as they became riper. It appeared also rather remark- 

 able, in a trial between apples whose stems had been broken off and those 

 whose stems had been left uninjured, that the latter lost rather more by evap- 

 oration than the former; the inference being that there is no harm in break- 

 ing the stalks of apples in the process of gathering. 



Other experiments were made to determine how much influence the natural 

 varnish on the skin of apples has upon their preservation. To this end, the 

 waxy covering was removed from a number of apples by gently rubbing them 

 with a mixture of alcohol and ether, then washing them with very dilute potash 

 lye, and finally with much water. It was found that apples thus treated lost 

 five per cent more of their weight, by evaporation, in a given time than apples 

 which had been left in their natural condition and similarly stored. As regards 

 this point, Sorauer is in full accord with the popular conviction that the un- 

 hurt skin of an apple is to be regarded as the chief protection against decay. 

 He found that apples whose waxy coating had been left unharmed did not 

 decay for a long time after he had smeared them with mold, although they 

 were left all the while in a moist and warm place. 



Still other experiments were made to test the question whether there is any 

 advantage in packing apples, layer by layer, with straw or sand. Four kinds of 

 apples were packed away in glass vessels, half of each lot in chopped straw and 

 the other half in dry sand. It appeared not only that the sand was decidedly 

 preferable to the straw, but that the use of straw is not to be commended. 

 Although there was no loss through decay of the apples packed in the straw, 

 they nevertheless shriveled more than apples which were lying free in the cellar, 

 and they acquired a musty taste from the straw as it became damp. The use 

 of dry sand, on the other hand, seemed to be advantageous, since the fruit 

 packed in it retained an uncommonly fresh appearance and excellent flavor, and 

 promised to keep, in good part, until July. The sand-packed apples lost only 

 about half as much water by evaporation as those which were lying free upon 

 the shelves ; they were almost wholly free from moldiness, and when one of them 

 happened to decay it did not infect the others. Even those apples which had 

 been bruised did not decay any more rapidly than the sound fruit, provided 

 that the skin had not been broken. Other apples were wrapped in tissue paper 

 and compared with those left uncovered, both in a dry chamber and in the 

 cellar. No advantage was derived from the paper excepting in the dry room, 

 for in the cellar mold developed itself more rapidly upon the apples wrapped in 

 paper than on those which were lying free. 



It seems plain that the main points to be considered in storing apples are, to 

 keep the temperature of the room so low that the fungi which cause decay 

 cannot flourish, and to have the air of the room moist enough to hinder the 

 fruit from shriveling. If the storehouse were warm, moisture would doubtles be 

 injurious, since the conditions would be favorable for the propagation of the 

 hurtful fungi; but if the room be cold enough to hold the fungi in check, 

 moisture will do good rather than harm. 



