Page 22 



BETTER FRUIT 



Device Shows that Cool Fruit Keeps Better 



A MECHANICAL apparatus has been 

 devised by investigators of tlic 

 United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture which proves scientifically that, 

 other things being equal, it is preferable 

 to pick such small fruit as strawberries, 

 cherries, and raspberries in the early 

 morning while it is still cool, particu- 

 larly if the fruit is to be kept some time 

 or shipped a considerable distance. The 

 advantage of early picking lies in the 

 fact that when cool the epidermis, or 

 skin, of the fruit is considerably 

 tougher, generally speaking, than when 

 warm, and so is less easily bruised, as 

 shown by tests. Similarly, the skin of 

 fruit immediately after it has been 

 cooled is more resistant than it is at an 



ordinary room temperature. However, 

 after fruit has been in an ice box more 

 than 24 hours, the resistance of its skin 

 is in some cases not so great as that of 

 freshly picked fruit, which has been 

 cooled quickly to ice-box temperature. 

 It seems possible, therefore, that the 

 storing of fruit tends, after a time, to 

 make the epidermis more tender and 

 more easily ruptured. 



The apparatus, while having many 

 distinctive features, is a modified Jolly 

 balance. It consists of an upright metal 

 standard from the top of which an arm 

 projects to one side supporting a sensi- 

 tive coil spring. Attached to the lower 

 end of the latter is a metal rod that 

 passes through a glass tube, the latter 



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being held in place by an arm attached 

 to the upright. A hair line on the tube 

 and on the metal rod make it possible 

 to determine the point st which tension 

 on the spring balances a given ■weight. 

 At the lower end of the metal arm a 

 glass rod is attached, to which is 

 cemented a small glass needle with a 

 rounded end. 



In operating the apparatus the fruit 

 is placed on the stand of the instrument 

 in a holder, and the stand so adjusted 

 that the surface of the fruit just comes 

 in contact with the tip of the glass 

 needle, when the hair lines on the metal 

 rod and glass tube coincide. 



The tension on the spring is released 

 by means of a rack and pinion adjust- 

 ment permitting the standard to tele- 

 scope slowly, thereby lessening the ten- 

 sion of the spring. The operator is 

 able to tell the instant at which lessened 

 tension permits the needle to puncture 

 the fruit, because the movement of the 

 needle is indicated by the movement of 

 one of the hair lines. When this takes 

 place he at once stops the telescoping 

 of the standard. Then, by reading the 

 scale on the side of the instrument the 

 weight required to balance the tension 

 on the spring is determined. The weight 

 of the glass rod, minus the weight 

 necessary to balance the tension on the 

 spring, gives the pressure of the needle 

 on the fruit at the time it punctures 

 the skin. 



A large number of tests were made 

 with fruit when it was freshly picked, 

 and cooled after washing it in tap 

 water, also after the fruit had been kept 

 in a refrigerator for 24 hours, and again 

 after cooled fruit had been brought to 

 room temperature. 



The tests confirm the wisdom of a 

 practice common in many regions, 

 namely, the picking of berries in the 

 morning when still cool. The presence 

 of dew does not make the berries more 

 susceptible to injury than dry ones. 



It seems probable that the increased 

 resistance of the surface of small fruits 

 to mechanical injury when cool, has 

 been an important factor, not fully ap- 

 preciated heretofore, in the improved 

 keeping quality which results in prompt 

 cooling and refrigeration. 



Standard Apple Box Retained. 



Owing to the strong protest made by 

 Northwest apple growers against 

 changing the nature and size of the 

 standard apple box as used in the Pa- 

 cific Northwest, proposed legislation to 

 that effect has been dropped. The pro- 

 test was made in the nick of time as the 

 committee in Congress having the mat- 

 ter in charge was getting ready to re- 

 port out a bill making the dry bushel 

 measure the standard for the North- 

 west as well as all other sections of the 

 country. 



NOW is the time to tend to 



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WHFN WRITING AD\'ERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



