-2- 



FRUIT lEETINGS 



Monday, June lU at 7»00 P»iJi» 



The annual Strawberry Twilight Meeting will be held near Fisher 

 Laboratory at the University of liassachuseits, Amherst. Inspection of 

 variety trials followed by talks by the experts emphasizing vreed control 

 and the ever increasingly important problem of virus disease control. 



Vfednesday, Jvily lli - Orchard Day at the University of Massachusetts » 



A top notch all day program is being planned in cooperation v/ith 

 the Massachusetts Fruit Growers Association and the N, Y. and Wo Ee Apple 

 Institute. Details \vill be announced later but reserve the date now. 



RESULTS FROM A COIIIERCIAL CONTROLLED ATO/iOSPHERE STORAGE FOR APPLES 



I'lr,, G, S» Gay, a fruit grower at Three Rivers, has operated two 

 3,^00 bushel controlled atmosphere storage rooms from mid-September to mid- 

 March. These rooms, made gas tight with sheet aluminum, were f illed vath 

 orchard-run Mcintosh and held at about 38°F. As the fruit respired the 

 carbon dioxide level rose to ^% and the oxygen level dropped to about 3^9 

 It took about one month for the oxygen to reach the desired level* 



In mid-March the first room was opened. Of course, the atmosphere 

 of S% carbon dioxide and 3% oxygen was lost as air was allowed into the 

 room. The temperature was lowered to 32°F. at this time and from that time 

 on the room was operated as a typical cold storage. Contrary to common 

 belief such apples do not have to be sold immediatelyo Vife expect to keep 

 a small sample of these apples at Amherst in cold storage until June or 

 July* 



I^at about the condition of the fruit ? As this fruit was graded it 

 was apparent that an occasional apple had some carbon dioxide injury o This 

 injury occurred on less than one percent of the fruito Rot was practically 

 non-existent even though there vfas about an inch of water on the floor when 

 the room was opened© In a few boxes some scald appeared. However, the 

 vast majority of the apples showed no scald in storage and none developed 

 when samples were held at room temperature for a weeko In fact, these 

 controlled atmosphere storage apples developed much less scald than most 

 cold storage Mcintosh this year. 



The apples averaged 12 pounds with a pressure tester, a good 2 to 3 

 pounds firmer than any cold storage apples we've seen in early March-, 

 Samples were taken to Amherst and compared at room temperature (in a humid 

 atmosphere) to cold storage Mcintosh. Table 1 shms the data obtained after 

 It weeks at 70 to 80°F. 



Table 1. Rate of deterioration of Mcintosh apples held 

 at room temperature from mid-March to mid-April 



Treatment 



Firmness 

 Days at 



of flesh (lbs,; 

 t 70 - So'T, 



Remarks 



