746 EXPERIMENT STATION EECOBD. 



RipoiiiKj dates hy incuhatioti, by G. F. Freeman (i)i). 437-456). — The incu- 

 l>ation method of date ripening first experimented with by Vinson but laid 

 {.side by him for chemical processes (see above) was in 1910 independently de- 

 veloped, amplified, and economically tested by the author, who, by its means, 

 ripened and marketed the first successful crop of Deglet Noor dates from the 

 Tempe cooj)erative orchards. The details of the incubation method are here 

 ])resented, together with the results of chemical studies conducted to throw 

 more light on the conditions affecting the ripening of the dates and with a view 

 to possible improvements in the commercial processes. 



The author recognizes 2 types of dates suitable for ripening — those which 

 have passed the full mature green stage and are just beginning to soften natu- 

 rally into a perfectly ripe condition, and those which have also passed the full 

 mature green stage but are beginning to dry down into a mummy state. The 

 first class is most suitable for ripening by incubation and seems to give the best 

 fruit when ripened at a temperature of 45 to 48° C. for a period of 3 or 4 days. 

 Mummy dates must be soaked in water for 6 or 7 hours before the incubation 

 process commences. The same conditions of moisture and temperature used in 

 ripening Deglet Noor dates were also favorable for great activity of the in- 

 verting agents present in these dates, hence the artificially ripened product 

 differs from that naturally ripened in having nearly all its sugar in the in- 

 verted form. Although soaking in tenth-normal ammonia strongly lessens the 

 inversion and gives dates of good taste and quality, this treatment is not recom- 

 mended owing to conflicting opinions as to the effect on human health. The 

 flavor of the artificially ripenetl. invert Deglet Noor dates is sufficiently fine to 

 have thus far been accepted by the trade at fancy prices. An important effect 

 of the temperature upon the dates which are I'ipened by incubation is the de- 

 struction of insect eggs which with the naturally ripened product often cause 

 a considerable percentage of wormy dates after they have reached the market. 



In view of the station's date investigations as a whole and particularly in 

 view of the successful results secured from the incubation process of ripening, 

 the planting of Deglet Noor palms in the Saltou Basin, along the lower Colo- 

 rado and in southern Arizona up to an altitude of 1.200 ft. is definitely 

 recommended. 



The relation of handling to decay in California navel oranges, season of 

 1910-11, A. Y. Stubenrauch {V. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Doc. 676, 

 pp. 7). — In view of the heavy percentage of decay from blue mold observed in 

 shipments of navel oranges early in the season of 1910-11, the Bureau of 

 Plant Industry continued its handling and packing exi^eriments along lines 

 similar to those followed in the earlier investigations (E. S. R., 20, p. 43). 

 The results are summarized in tabular form and discussed. 



The average percentage of decay in all carefully handled oranges, including 

 those brushed, washed, and not cleaned, was 2.8 as compared with an average 

 of 14.9 per cent decayed for the commercially handled fruit. These results 

 corroborate the results of the earlier work in every respect and show that even 

 under the unfavorable weather conditions prevailing during the season fruit 

 may be handled with sutficient care to insure its sound condition on arrival 

 in market. 



Report of the coffee expert, J. W. Van Leknhoff {Porto Rico Sta. Rpt. 1910, 

 pp. 37, 38). — Weather conditions continued unfavorable for securing definite 

 results in the various experiments with coffee (E. S. R., 24, p. 150). 



The new plantings of Porto Rican and foreign coffees are doing well. Several 

 samples of roasted coffee were sent to different persons in the States and on 

 the island, and nearly all reports from the cup trials agree as to excellency 

 of the Maragogype coffee. A few trees of an excellent coffee, Mocha or Inham- 



