EXl'ERIMENT STATION WORK WITH APPLES. 567 



ventfil to the greatest extent by producing liighly-colored, well-developed fruit, by 

 storing it as soon as it is picktil in a tfnn)eratur»' of 'A]° to 32° F., by removing it 

 from storage wliiU' it is still free from staid, and by Imldinir it after rcninval in the 

 eoojest possiblt- temperature. 



A variety may differ in its keeiiing (|uality wlu-n grown in different parts of the 

 country. It may vary when grown in the same locality under different cultural con- 

 ditions. The character of the soil, the age of the trees, the care of the orchard — all 

 of these factors modify the growth of the tree and fruit and may affect the keeping 

 quality of the apples. The character of the season also modifies the keeping power 

 of the fruit. 



COMPOSITION. 



The composition of the flesh of 25 varieties of perfectly ripe, sound, 

 iinwilted apples was found hy C". A. Browne, jr.," to averaj^e about 84 

 per cent water, 12 per cent sugar, (►.«> per cent free malic acid, and 0.8 

 per cent ash. The water content of the apples varied in the dif- 

 ferent varieties from TO.O per cent to 8r).2 per cent, and the total 

 suoar from !►.«) per cent to 1«).8 per cent. Seven varieties of C'alifornia 

 apples'' a\'eraoed 80 per cent water and 11. 02 per cent suj^ar. Prof. 

 W. K. Lazenb}', of the Ohio Station/ found from the analyses of a 

 larg-e number of varieties that apples of the best quality are the ones 

 containint^ the largest amount of water, while small, rimtv apples of 

 inferior (luality contained the least amount. In preparing apples for 

 the table Professor Lazenby also found that the waste of 25 varieties 

 as purchased in the open market averaged about 24 per cent, but with 

 .select specimens the waste might be as low as lo per cent. 



Inferior specimens of apples appear to draw more heavily on the 

 mineral constituents of the .soil than the Ix'tter grad«»s, as shf)wn ])y 

 analyses reported b}' the ^Missouri Station.'' Large ripe specimens of 

 Ben Davis, averaging 3^ inches in diameter, contained 7 pounds of 

 phosphoric acid and 87 pounds of potash per acre, while smaller ripe 

 specimens 2i inches in diameter contained 7.1 pounds phosphoric acid 

 and 48 ])ounds potash per acre. This is based on the estimate of 10 

 l)ushels of fruit prv tree and the trees spaced 80 feet aptirt each way. 



Unripe apples contain considerable amounts of starch and less sugar 

 than rip(> aj^plcs. Tjius C. A. Browne, jr.," found that very green 

 Baldwin apples contained, August 7. 4.14 per cent starch and 8.1 1 per 

 cent sugar. Fi\e weeks later they contained 3.67 percent stiirch and 

 10.72 per cent sugar. Two months later when ripe they contained but 

 0.17 per cent starch and 14.87 per cent sugar. Perfectly ripe apples 

 contain no starch whatever. In th(» after-ripening of apples, C. A. 

 Browne, jr.. foiuid that the chemical changes thiit take place are mainly 



"Pennsylvania State Dept. .\gr. Bui. 58. 

 ''California Sta. Rpt. 1S!»S, p. 14:5. 

 cVnn: See. Prom. Agr. Sci., llMKi, p. lOT). 

 «^ Missouri Sta. Bui. 10. 



