Bitter Fit in Apples. .39 



dry, :in(l should not be in contact, or if so, should be wrapped in 

 tissue paper, and a free circulation of dry air allowed between 

 them. Whether the method would be of any use for extensive 

 storage could only be told by actual trial. i The gelatining does 

 not at first affect the flavour of the apples, and if properly done the 

 gelatine skin is hardly noticed when the apple is peeled. 



The rotting uf apples in storage appears to be almost entirely 

 due to tlie development of fungal hyphae in the pulp, the spores 

 entering from the surface through the breathing pores of the skin. 

 Gelatining the apple would prevent any entry of spores and remove 

 this source of decay, if no spores had already gained entry. Apart 

 from this source of death, there is no reason why sound apples 

 should not gradually shrivel when kept without any actual rotting 

 occurring. It has already been stated in Germany that apples keep 

 much better if the surface is sterilised by washing in formalin. 

 Wrapping in tissue paper would then pi-event the entry of fresh 

 spores from outside. 



The drying and contpaction of Bitter Pit tissue. 



This is the natural result of the fact that the plasmatic mem- 

 branes on death lose their power of preventing the escape of the 

 dissolved materials present in the vacuole. As these diffuse out- 

 Avards the water follows them, and is drawn into those still living 

 cells whose osmotic pressure is not fully satisfied. This is aided by 

 the elastic contraction of the previously distended cell walls, and 

 their ultimate complete collapse is hastened by the loss of water by 

 evapf>ration. With artificial poisoning sunken pits only develop 

 when the poisoning is localised. When the whole surface is browned 

 It remains smooth until nuicli moisture has been lost. The stretched 

 epidermis contracts at first pari passu with the collapse of the 

 superficial pulp cells, and it is only when the contraction is exces- 

 sive that either cracks appear or that the epidermis becomes 

 wrinkled so as to i-etain the same total suiface area. 



In the following experiment peeled Yates' Pippins of exactly 

 equal weight (60 grams.) were floated on 250 cc. of each liquid and 

 Aveighed daily. In the two poisonoiis solutions the total weights 

 of mercuric chloride present were 0.20 and 0.125 of a gram 

 respec-tively, amounts too small to affect the weights appreciably by 

 absorption. 



I Mr. SclioubridH:e informs me th.it unpublished experiments have shown that in time tJie flavour 



1 sufficiently affected to lower the saleable qiuility ixirticnlarly for export, but no data are 

 lailalile of the varieties tested or of the conditions under which the tests were made. 



