EXPERIMENTS IN PEACH STORAGE. 25 



in a temperature of 32° F. The quality was retained and the fruit 

 stood up two or three days after removal from the storage house, the 

 length of its durability depending- on the condition of the weather 

 when it was removed. After three weeks in storage the quality of 

 the fruit deteriorated, though the peaches continued firm and bright- 

 in appearance for a month, and retained the normal color of the flesh 

 two or three da} T s after removal. If the fruit was mellow when it 

 entered the storage house it deteriorated more quickly, both while in 

 storage and after withdrawal. If unripe it shriveled considerably. 



In a temperature of 40 c F. the ripening processes progressed rap- 

 idly, and the flesh began to turn brown in color after a week or ten 

 days in storage. The fruit also deteriorated much more quickly after 

 removal, as it was already nearer the end of its life history. It began 

 to lose in quality at the end of a week. 



In a temperature of 3<> : F. the fruit ripened more rapidly than in 

 32~ , and more slowiy than in 40 c F. It reached its profitable commer- 

 cial limit in ten days to two weeks, when the quality began to dete- 

 riorate, and after this period the flesh began to discolor. (See PI. I, 

 frontispiece. 



The fruit kept well in all of the packages in a temperature of 32 c F. 

 for about two weeks, after which that in the open baskets and in the 

 Georgia carriers began to show wilting. In the 20-pound boxes, in 

 which the circulation of air is restricted, the fruit remained firm 

 throughout the storage season. 



It is necessary that the fruit be packed firmly to prevent bruising 

 in transit, but if the peaches pressed against each other unduly it was 

 found that the compressed parts of the flesh discolored after a week in 

 storage. A wrapper proved a great protection against this trouble, 

 especially in the baskets of the Georgia peach carrier, and in all of the 

 packages the wrapped fruit retained its firmness and brightness for a 

 longer time than that left without wrappers. 



The fruit should be removed from storage while it is still linn 

 and bright. The peach normally deteriorates quickly after it reaches 

 maturity, and the rapidity of deterioration is influenced by the nature 

 of the variety, by the degree of ripeness when removed, and by the 

 temperature into which it is taken. A quick ripening sort, like 

 Champion, is more active biologically and chemically than the Elberta 

 variety, and the wanner the temperature in which either is placed 

 th<> sooner decomposition is accomplished. It is advisable therefore 

 to remove the fiv.it while firm and keep it in the coolest possible 

 temperature. 



The peaches in the top of a refrigerator ear that has been several 



days in transit in hot weather are sometimes overripe and need to be 



sold as soon as the market is reached, while at the same time the fruit 



in the bottom layers may still be firm. The rapidity with which the 



26073— No. 40—03 3 



