THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 357 



Grimes Golden as over a red Jonathan, a Spitzenbiirg or a JMelntosh. 

 Coming to individuals in a variety, it is found that apples grown 

 in sod are brilliantly colored; those grown under tillage are of more 

 somber hues. Nine out of ten people will choose the highly colored 

 sod-groAvn fruit as the best flavored, but it needs only a taste to con- 

 vince to the contrary. The tilled fruit is crisper, juicier, and richer. 

 On the other hand, poorly colored apples in the center of a tree are 

 often less well flavored than the brighter fruits exposed to the sun. 

 There are many just such seeming correlations between color and 

 quality, but a careful study of all show.s that there are no real rela- 

 tions between color and quality. 



Just now the fashion is for red apples. But fashions in colors 

 of fruits change as fashions in colors of clothes, or hats, or ties change. 

 At one time russet apples were in great demand — not so now. In 

 some markets Green Newtowns or Yellow Bellflowers or Rhode Island 

 Greenings are still preferred. The present tendency to plant noth- 

 ing but red apples is bound to make them less the fashion in time 

 and to give greater demand for green, yellow and russet fruits. That 

 color is quite unrelated to permanent value is proved by these changes 

 and vai'iations in fashion. 



The point I am seeking to nuike is. that we are followin<j a prejudice 

 in rating one color above another regardless of quality. This prejudice 

 is detrimental to fruit growing and fruit growers should seek to over- 

 come it by calling attention to the good qualities of fruits regardless 

 of color. "Plumage proclaims the fowl," but color does not proclaim 

 the fruit. 



We are all well agreed, however, that it is very desirable to put 

 a variety on the market in its own distinctive color, provided too much 

 is not sacrificed in securing characteristic color. How may the color 

 of varieties be kept normal, true and distinctive? 



It is impossible to discuss color intelligently unless we know what 

 color is. What makes the gold of the orange, or the red of the apple? 

 To define carefully in this case takes us far afield in organic chemistry 

 where all but those bred therein are soon hopelessly lost. It is difficult 

 to make even a few simple statements in regard to color without 

 becoming entangled in the jargon of chemistry. But, in brief, some 

 of the colors of fruits are carried in small granules or corpuscles while 

 others are dissolved in the cell sap. Thus the green, yellow, orange 

 and some of the red colors are due to the presence of millions of 

 brightly stained corpuscles in the cells of the skin, while other reds, 

 especially those of a blue or violet cast, are due to stained cell-sap. 

 The color-bearing corpuscles are derived from the chlorophyll or leaf- 

 green of the plant ; colored sap is largely the result of oxidizing agents 

 acting on certain organic substances in the fruit. 



The oxidizing agents and the substances they act upon are present 

 in green fruits in combination. As the fruits ripen the combination 

 slowly breaks and oxidation takes place. The formation of color 

 corpuscles, too, depends upon the action of oxygen in the presence of 

 light and certain food elements. This is the briefest possible statement 

 of how a very complex process takes place in which the facts to be 

 emphasized are that oxidation goes on as a fruit begins to ripen and 

 that coloring is an indication of ripening, and ceases when the fruit 

 is fully ripe. 



