No. a. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICUl^TURK. S05 



t'luiu ^yoiiiii; i"iiu<ll.\ urowiMj; li'i'es wliich is apt. lo be o\i'r}^r(t\\ii and 

 less firm in tcxlurc (liau fioiii old trees. It passes tlirougli its life 

 history rapidly and in the storaji,e house frequently breaks down 

 se\('ial weeks or even months before the same variety from old 

 trees begins to deteriorate. King and York Imperial apples from 

 young trees stored last October in Jersey City, N. J., have already 

 passed their best commercial condition, while from old trees the 

 same varieties are still firm and sound. Last fall a carload of West 

 Virginia York Imperial a])ples was placed in cold storage in Mar 

 iinsburg for experimental export shipment during the winter. In 

 the carload there were 40 barrels of large fruit from thrifty 7-year 

 old trees, while the remainder was from slow growing trees 25 

 years of age. On January 12, when these apples were removed from 

 storage, the fruit from young trees was found to have developed 

 10 per cent, of scald and fully 50 per cent, of it was mellow. On tiie 

 old tree fruit no scald h:id developed, and the apples were still 

 firm and sound. It should be stated in this connection, however, 

 that the vigor rather than the age of the tree determines the keep- 

 ing (juality of the fruit. Old trees supplied witli moisture and plant 

 food to such an extent to induce unusual vigor and growth, may 

 produce fruit as much lacking in firm texture and durability as 

 the average young tree fruit. This condition, however, is not often 

 met with. 



The character of tlie soil may infiuence the keeping of the fruit 

 to a very marked extent. The Baldwin apple grown upon sandy 

 land colors more highly and grows to a larger size than the same 

 variety upon clay land. It is more attractive and is worth more 

 money in the market, but it will not keep so long as the smaller, 

 less highly colored Baldwin from clay land. The Greening, which 

 has been under observation from both sandy and clay soils, behaves 

 similarly. 



Experiments have been made with a large number of varieties 

 picked at two degrees of m.aturity, first, when nearly full grown, 

 but only one-half or two-thirds colored, and second, when fully 

 grown and highly colored. The results obtained indicate that the 

 more mature fruit usually keeps fully as well as the immature, 

 and is worth more money because of larger size and better color. 

 Mature, well-colored fruit is less subject to scald thnn immature, 

 light-colored fruit. An exception to the above exists, how-ever, in 

 the case of large fruit from young trees. Since its development 

 is rapid, it may become too mature if left upon the trees late in 

 autumn, and w^hen placed in storage, its period of safe-keeping will 

 be found to be correspondingly shortened. Such fruit should be 

 picked while still somewhat immature. 



The method of handling fruit after picking, also very largely de- 



