Winter Mcctini;. 



289 



grown abnormally large seems to ripen relatively faster than medium 

 sized fruit, and different varieties vary widely in the rapidit}" with wh^ch 

 the}- pass through their normal life history. Therefore, from the theo- 

 retical standpoint, any condition in the management of the fruit that 

 causes it to ripen after it is picked shortens its life in the storage house, 

 for it is alread}' so much nearer the end of its life history when stored. 



It is probable that a large proportion of all the difficulties with 

 apples in cold storage is due to delaying the storage of the fruit after 

 it is picked. This is especially true in hot weather, and in fruit that 

 comes from sections where the autumn months are usually hot. If the 

 fruit is delayed in piles in the orchard, or in piles or in packages in 

 closed buildings where the ventilation is poor, if transportation is delayed, 

 or the fruit is detained at the terminal point, the ripening progresses 

 rapidly and the fruit may already be near the point of deterioration or 

 may even have commenced to deteriorate from scald or mellowness or 

 decay when the storage house is reached. On the contrary, if the pick- 

 ing season is cool, a delay during a similar period of time might cause 

 no serious injury to the keeping quality. 



Delaying the storage of the fruit in warm weather increases its 

 susceptibility to scald. The following table brings out the injury that 

 may be caused by delaying the storage of fruit in hot weather. In this 

 particular case the mean average temperature between September 15-30, 

 1902, was about 62 degrees Fahrenheit. Fruit picked from the same 

 trees in October and stored 2 weeks later when the temperature was 

 about 53 degrees Fahrenlieit was mot injured by the delay: 



SCALD ON IMMEDIATE AND DELAYED STORED APPLES IN EEBRl'ARY. I903. 



Variety. 



Picked Sept. 

 12; stored 

 Sept. 15. 



Picked Sept. 

 1.5; 'Store d 

 Sept. 30. 



Picked Oct. 4: 

 stored Oct. 9. 



Picked Oct .5; 

 stored Oct. 19 



Rliode Island Greening., 



Suttoa 



Tompkins King 



Per cent. 

 

 

 



Per cent. 

 38 

 33 

 15 



Per cent. 

 (No record. 

 

 



Per cent. 



(No record.) 











From the standpoint of the orchardist or apple dealer who cannot 

 secure quick transportation to a distant warehouse, or wdio cannot obtain 

 refrigerator cars, or who is geographically situated where the wc 

 is usually warm' in apple picking time, the local storage plant in \ 

 tlie fruit can be stored at once and distributed in cool weather, ' 

 important advantages. 



H— 19 



