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 HARV3STING POINTERS 



Avoid Bruises; Not only do bruises and skin punctures detract from the 

 appearance of the fruit and offer places for the entrance of decay organisiiis, but 

 they also tend to hasten the rate of softening: -and moisture loss. Experiments have 

 shown that even one bruise can appreciably hasten the rate of softening of the 

 uninjured portions of the fruit and may increase the moisture loss by as much as 

 400 percent. 



Moisten Boxes* If apples are to be stored in field crates or v/ooden boxes it 

 is desirable that they be well moistened before they go into storage or very shortly 

 thereafter. Dry wooden crates may absorb up to I/2 pound of moisture apiece from 

 t?ie storage room air. Since moisture absorbed from the storage room air comes 

 largely from the fruit, it is very dosirable that the boxes be v/ell soalrod. Add 

 moisture regularly so that the relative humidity is maintained at 85 to 90 percent. 

 Apples will show \asible shriveling when they lose approximately 5 percent of thoir 

 weight as vrator vapor. 



Cool Apples Quickly: It is estimated that apples will lose approximately one 

 week of their storage life for every day they romain out of cold storage after 

 harvest. Also, as apples rincn they produce a volatile substance, ethylene, v/hich 

 will hasten the ripening of less mature fruits, A few bushels of ripe Early Mcintosh 

 or Mcintosh drops, for instance, can produce enough ethylene to shorten the storage 

 life of a lot of firm, ripe llclntosh by as much as six weeks. Also, other vapors 

 from ripe apples are capable of greatly accentuating the sowrity of storage scald 

 on susceptible varieties like Coj-tlcmd, Consequently, store apples promptly and if 

 possible keep early apples, drops, and rather ripe, Jjater picked fruit in separate 

 rooms from those apples which are picked in a firm ripe condition imd are to be held 

 for extended periods in storage, 



— F, VJ, Southvdck 



OBSERVATIOIvS OF ^FLE I/IAGGOT FLY SI'.SRG Ei:CE 



The weekly reports of the day by day emergence of Apple Maggot flies provide 

 interesting reading for those who beliove their maggot troubles are caused, at least 

 partly, by"^late-emcrging flies, Ro,>;cr Peck, Dorrtmce Green cmd Ralph Roberts have 

 reported on applo maggot fly emergence in traps located in Shelburne, vaibraham 

 end Gra;iville respectively. 



From August 1 through August 15 these cooperators have reported, from their 

 areas, fly emergence equal to the follcr,;ing percentages of their suirauor totals: 

 vTilbraham 27f.; Granville 20;;i; and Shelburne 4?.y„ And, in addition, Ralph Rooerts 

 reports that 18 flics have emerged in late July and August fr.m a box of maggot 

 pupae placed in tlio ground in 1946, 



Even when we disregard migrating flios — which wo cannot afford to do — the 

 above figures give us mtuiy reasons for continuing our protection against Apple 

 Maggot well into August, 



— E, H. Y'Jhceler 



