198 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



keeping quality as the same varieties grown on older trees. It has 

 been found, especially under eastern conditions that trees with thick 

 heads and branches which prevent the fruits from maturing uniformly, 

 may yield a large proportion of green, poorly colored fruits, which do 

 not hold well in storage. This is plainly a factor which may be con- 

 trolled by a different orchard treatment. Oepning up the trees, late 

 cultivation, keeping the trees in active growth late in the season pre- 

 vents the proper maturing of the fruits. This is not likely to be so 

 important a factor in this region except where climatic conditions 

 similar to eastern humid summer conditions prevail. In irrigated 

 sections the moisture conditions are under the control of the grower. 

 If he irrigates and stimulates growth at the time the fruit is maturing, 

 he will bring about conditions which may result in the production of 

 sappy, poorly colored fruit of low keeping quality. In sections having 

 dry summers, but depending upon" tillage for maintenance of proper soil 

 moisture conditions, the effect will be opposite unless cultivation is 

 carefully done. In orchards where cultivation and tillage are not 

 thoroughly done there is likelihood of the trees being under stress from 

 lack of moisture at the end of the dry season. Fruit from such trees has 

 low keeping quality in storage. 



Any condition of soil, climatic or orchard treatment which results 

 in the production of abnormal fruits may be governing factors in their 

 cold storage behavior. These factors are ordinarily not considered 

 in selecting fruit for storage. If they could be taken into consider- 

 ation, much loss would be avoided. 



It may not always be practicable for the warehouseman to con- 

 sider these factors, due primarily to the conditions of growth and 

 production. Fruit is mostly purchased by jobbers and wholesalers who 

 do not, as a rule know anything about the history of the fruit prior to 

 the time it is received by them. The only way that loss from deterior- 

 ation may be avoided in these cases is to keep close watch on tne fruit 

 during the season, and to dispose of it before it has gone too far. 



A fruit is a living organism, which has a definite length of time 

 for carrying on its life functions. As long as these life functions are 

 active, the fruit remains in a vital condition and is fit for food. After 

 the life processes have become weakened and exhausted, death of the 

 fruit takes place, rapid deterioration results, and the fruit is unfit for 

 food. The vital processes of the fruit go on normally while the fruit is 

 on the tree, unless the tree is in distress. When the fruit is severed 

 from the tree the life process is hastened while the fruit remains at 

 relatively high temperatures, so that when the fruit is picked the ripen- 

 ing and life processes are quickened, and unless some means is taken 

 to control or to slacken these processes, the death of the fruit ensues 

 within a comparatively short time. When the fruit is stored at a low 

 temperature, the vital processes are very materially retarded; they do 

 not entirely cease, but continue slowly, the rate depening upon the 

 character of the fruit and the temperature at which it is held. It fol- 



