No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 807 



Kieffer pears stored in October, 1901, in 30 degrees F., were discol- 

 ored and worthless March, 1002, while the same variety in 32 de- 

 grees F., was sound and in good condition until xVpril 1. Low tem- 

 peratures are mor(! necessary for the quick ripening summer fruits 

 than for the winter fruits because of the rapidity with which they 

 pass from rip(;ness to decaj^ under normal conditions. For winter 

 apples a temperature of from 30 to 32 degrees F. is the most ap- 

 proved, but this low temperature is necessary only to overcome 

 the eifect of delays and severe handling to which the fruit is fre- 

 quently subjected. Tf the fruit could be picked, carefully handled 

 and placed in cold storage immediately, it would keep very satisfac- 

 torily in a temperature several degrees higher. 



There are numerous diseases and affectations common to stored 

 fruits which tend to shorten their time of keeping. Scald is one 

 of the most pronounced of these troubles. It is not well under- 

 stood, but is due to one of the normal oxidizing ferments which 

 manifests itself in an injurious way only when the life history of the 

 fruit is well advanced. Scald develops upon the least mature side 

 of the fruit, and is particularly apt to appear upon fruit picked 

 before it is well-matured. Since highly colored, well-matured fruit 

 is least subject to the trouble, this point has a very practical bear- 

 ing in orchard management. Growers should aim to produce fruit 

 of this character. 



Black mould is the most troublesome disease to contend with in 

 the storage of strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. It is 

 very apt to appear within from 48 to 72 hours in the case of rasp- 

 berries, while upon blackberries and strawberries it is almost cer- 

 tain to manifest itself within a week or ten days from the time of 

 storing. No method of preventing this trouble is known aside from 

 careful handling and quick storing of the fruit. 



In the storage of cherries, brown rot is apt to be troublesome. 

 Cold temperatures retard its development to a very great extent, 

 but do not effectually check the spread of the disease. 



Bitter rot and pink mould of apples are quite effectually checked 

 in the cold storage bouse, but the blue mould and other fungi fre- 

 quently manifest themselves to the injury of the fruit. 



The behavior of fruit when removed from cold storage depends 

 upon how far it has already progressed in its life processes, and 

 upon temperature into which it is removed. Fruit which is nearing 

 the end of its life history, when withdraw^n, cannot be expected to 

 hold up long after removal from the storage house. 



The following tabulation-shows the development of scald in dif- 

 ferent temperatures upon the York Imperial apples from old and 

 young trees before alluded to. The young tree fruit was mellow 

 when removed from storage while the old tree fruit was still firm 

 and sound. 



