Nov. 15, 1919 Nature and Control of Apple-Scald 237 



PRACTICAL CONSIDERATION 



In recording the percentages of scald in the foregoing experiments, 

 consideration has been given to both the number of apples affected and 

 the intensity of the disease; the scald ratings therefore bear a very 

 close relation to the actual damage done to the fruit and to the reduc- 

 tion in price resulting from it. In an average market, the loss in price 

 on the apples would be about half that of the percentage of scald 

 recorded — for example, apples that have been marked as having 80 per 

 cent of scald would ordinarly be sold at a reduction of about 40 per cent 

 in price, apples having 50 per cent of scald at a reduction of 25 per cent, 

 and apples having 5 or 10 per cent of scald at little or no reduction. It 

 is possible, therefore, to obtain a fairly close estimate of the effect of the 

 various treatments upon the value of the fruit. It will be seen by 

 reference to Table XII that barreled apples stored in the bottom of 

 the stack at a distance from the window were damaged by scald to the 

 extent of 40 per cent of their value (80 per cent of scald), while similar 

 apples near the window or in the aisles were damaged but 15 per cent, 

 and the apples in the ventilated barrels but 6 per cent — an amount 

 that might be entirely overlooked in many markets. In the wrapper 

 experiments as shown in Tables XV, XVI, and XVII, the unwrapped 

 apples and those in commercial wrappers were damaged by scald to the 

 extent of from 20 to 40 per cent of their value while those wrapped in 

 the best of the waxed papers were practically free from injury. 



These estimates of damage are based on the assumption that the 

 fruit becomes warm before being used. If the apples were sold on a 

 northern market in cold weather, the loss from scald might not be felt 

 by the dealer but be largely passed along to the consumer; but if it 

 were necessary to expose the fruit in moderately warm weather the 

 loss would be shown in the actual selling price. Whether the scald 

 damage becomes evident on the market or only after the fruit has passed 

 to the hands of the consumer, the loss is a real one. Apples that should 

 have remained in good condition for several weeks under common 

 storage conditions are rendered unfit for anything but immediate con- 

 sumption and even undesirable for that. Not only does the scalded 

 condition gradually spread to considerable depth in the tissue of the 

 apple but the death of the skin exposes the softer tissues beneath to 

 the action of blue mold {PenicUlium expansum) and other rot organisms, 

 and rapid decay follows. Apples with a sound epidennis are practically 

 immune to rot at high as well as low temperatures (5), but apples with 

 the skin killed by scald are doomed to early destruction. 



In the apple trade the time at which scald appears on the fruit receives 

 more consideration than the severity of the disease when it occurs. 

 Anything that will postpone the development of apple-scald means a 



