COMPARISON OF VARIETIES. 83 



(10) In atmosphere of moist nitrogen. Scald entirely prevented, 

 and fruit apparently normal at end of nine days. 



(11) Fruit placed in water. Scald retarded; fruit uninjured. 



(12) Paraffin over fruit. Scald slightly retarded; fruit uninjured. 



(13) Vaseline over fruit. Scald somewhat retarded; fruit uninjured. 



(14) Olive oil over fruit. Scald somewhat retarded; fruit uninjured. 

 It will be seen from the brief outline that the fruit may be injured 



by some of the gases and that nitrogen was the only gas that pre- 

 vented scald without injuring the fruit. It is reasonable to assume 

 that a continuation of the fruit in nitrogen gas for a much greater 

 length of time would be injurious, as oxygen is essential to the vital 

 processes. It will be noticed, also, that ox} T gen stimulated the develop- 

 ment of the scald probably by making the conditions favorable for the 

 rapid progress of the scald-producing ferment, 



COMPARISON OF VARIETIES IN COLD STORAGE. 



A large number of varieties of apples grown under various condi- 

 tions have been under observation by the Department of Agriculture. 

 It has been the purpose of the investigation to determine the keeping 

 quality of the varieties during the commercial apple-storage season, 

 which usually terminates May 1 or shortly afterwards. It has not 

 been attempted to carry the varieties longer than the apple-storage 

 season, though many of them when finally taken from the storage 

 house have been in prime condition and would have kept well for a 

 longer period. 



There is a wide difference in the keeping quality of the same variety 

 when it is grown in different parts of the country. There is a strik- 

 ing variation also in the behavior of the same variety when it is grown 

 in the same locality under different cultural conditions and in different 

 seasons. There may be a permanent difference in the keeping quality 

 of the apples of one region when compared with those of another, but 

 it is not safe to draw general conclusions in this regard until the vari- 

 eties of each have been under observation during several seasons and 

 have been grown under different cultural conditions. No attempt has 

 been made in these investigations to draw comparisons between the 

 keeping quality of the same sort from different places. The behavior 

 of each lot is given in commercial terms rather than in detailed 

 notes, so that the grower or apple handler may know something of the 

 storage value of a variety under the conditions in which it has been 

 observed by the Department of Agriculture. The fruit has been 

 stored in bushel boxes in a temperature of 30° to 32° F. 



The Department had the cooperation of the Kansas, Maine, New 

 York State, and Virginia agricultural experiment stations in 1901 

 and of the Massachusetts Agricultural College and the New York 



1202— No. 48—03 3 



