STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 4I 



no \va\- injured by the lower temperature in comparison with the 

 higher one. The low temperature also retards the development 

 of scald, and the fruit on leaving the storage house stands up 

 for a longer time on account of its being in a less mature 

 condition. 



INFLUENCE OF DEGREE OF MATURITY OF THE FRUIT. 



In recent years there has been a tendency to pick the apple 

 crop relatively earlier in the season than formerly. It is quite 

 generally supposed that the longest keeping apples are not fully 

 developed in size of maturity, and that the most highly colored 

 fruit is less able to endure the abuses that arise in picking, pack- 

 ing and shipping. There are many economic factors which have 

 influenced the harvesting time of the apple crop. A large pro- 



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Section Showing Wall of the Apple Storage House. 



portion of the crop is purchased in the orchard by comparatively 

 few apple dealers, and with the growing scarcity of farm hands 

 and other labor, it is often necessary to begin picking relatively 

 earlier in the autumn to secure the crop before the fall storms 

 or winter months set in. The great increase in freight traffic 

 has overtaxed the carrying capacity of the railroads and has 

 influenced the apple dealers to extend the shipping season over 

 the longest possible time in order to avoid congestion and the 

 delays in shipping the fruit. In localities where the entire crop 

 is sometimes ruined by the bitter rot after the fruit is half grown, 

 the picking is often begun early in the season in order to secure 

 the largest amount of perfect fruit. 



The investigations indicate, however, that the immature and 

 partly colored fruit has not always the best keeping quality. On 

 the other hand an apple that is not overgreen and which has 

 attained full size and high color, but is still hard and firm when 



