20 THE APPLE IN COLD STORAGE. 



The fungous diseases of the fruit, such as the apple scab (Fusicla- 

 dium dendriticum (Wallr.) Fckl.) and the pink mold {Cephalothecium 

 rpseum Cda.) which grows upon the scab, the blue mold {Penicillvu/m 

 glaucum Link) which causes the common, soft, brown rot, the black 

 rot (Sphceropsis malorum Rk.), and the bitter rot {Glceosjporium fruc- 

 tigenum Berk.) develop very fast if the fruit becomes heated after 

 picking. The conditions already enumerated which cause the fruit to 

 ripen quickly during the delay between the orchard and the storage 

 house arc also most favorable to the development of fruit diseases. It 

 is therefore of the greatest importance that the fruit be stored imme- 

 diately after picking, if the weather is warm, in order to insure it 

 against the unusual development of the fungous rots. 



In the fall of 1901, when the weather in western New York was cool, 

 there was no apparent injury from delaying the storage of a large 

 number of varieties two weeks and then shipping the fruit to Buffalo, 

 the transit occupying from one to three days. There was also no 

 apparent injury to the fruit from Virginia treated in a similar manner, 

 but in southwestern Missouri, where it was warmer, the apples delaj^ed 

 two weeks before storing were seriously injured in their commercial 

 keeping qualities. 



The results accomplished during 1902 have been of the most instructive 

 character. During the later half of September the temperature in 

 eastern New York averaged about 62° F., with a humidity of 81°. 

 During the first half of October the average temperature was. 53° F. 

 and the humidity 80°. 



Rhode Island Greening, Tompkins King, and Sutton apples picked 

 September 15, 1902, and stored within three days, were firm till the 

 following March, with no rot or scald, but fruit from the same trees 

 not stored till two weeks after picking was badly scalded or decayed 

 by the 1st of January. None of the immediate-stored fruit was scalded 

 or decayed by the 1st of February, but the delayed Sutton and Rhode 

 Island Greening apples were soft and mealy, and one-third were scalded 

 at that time, while nearly 10 per cent of the delayed Tompkins King 

 were soft and worthless. The commercial value of these varieties Avas 

 injured from 40 to 70 per cent by the delay in storage. 



Apples of these varieties picked from the same trees on October 5, 

 1902, and stored immediately, and also some stored two weeks later, 

 were less injured by the delay, as the temperature and humidity were 

 not sufficiently high to cause rapid ripening or the development of the 

 fruit rots. . . 



From the standpoint of the orchardist or apple dealer who can not 

 secure quick transportation to. the large storage centers, or who can 

 not obtain refrigerator cars, or who is geographically situated where 

 the weather is usually warm in apple-picking time, the local storage 

 plant in which the fruit can be stored at once and distributed in cool 

 weather offers important advantages. The importance of this phase 



