Peach growers need to make a continuing analysis of the factors in their 

 production which will economically contribute to higher yields of peaches per 

 acre. Six of the growers had yields of over 300 bushels per acre. The yields 

 for these six averaged 348 bushels, and were produced up to harvest at an average 

 cost of $.65 per bushel. Seven growers had yields of less than 200 bushels and 

 averaged 162 bushels per acre. Their cost of production up to harvest averaged 

 $1.54 per bushel. The Iw^er cost per bushel with the higher yields greatly 

 increases the net returns to the operator for his labor as compared to the low 

 yield - high cost group. Higher prices obtained by some growers also increased 

 profits. Six growers averaged over $3.00 per bushel at the farm for their crop, 

 while four growers averaged less than $2.00 per bushel. Quality of pack, variety 

 and age of trees, and marketing skill were important factors in this price 

 difference between growers." 



---William J. Lord 

 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 



BRUISING OF McINTOSH APPLES AFTER HARVEST 



The July-August issue of "Fruit Notes" contained an article relative to a 

 study of the extent of mechanical injury (bruises and skin punctures) on Mcintosh 

 apples as harvested^ This article deals with a subsequent study of mechanical 

 injury as Mcintosh apples were removed from storage. In this study an attempt 

 was made to determine the amount of injury which occurs between the orchard and 

 the packing house. 



Procedure 



During the packing season eighteen of the tv;enty orchards from which data 

 were obtained at harvest were re-visited and the extent of mechanical injury 

 determined on a five hundred apple sample obtaiiied by selecting fifty apples 

 from each of ten boxes chosen at random as they moved from the storage to the 

 packing house. 



While the apples in the five hundred apple sample from storage may not have 



come from the same orchard nor been picked by the same pickers as those studied 



at harvest time, the size of the sample was considered sufficient to fairly 



represent the entire crop and would warrant comparison with the extent of mechan- 

 ical injury found in the orchard. 



This comparison is shown in Table I on page 8, 



Columns with the odd numbers show the situation for the respective classifica- 

 tions when the apples were harvested. Columns with even numbers show the situation 

 when the apples were taken from storage. Note that the items in columns 7 to 10 

 inclusive show the total number of bruises on 500 apples rather than the percent of 

 apples bruised or skin punctured sho\'m in the other columns. 



What do the figures in this table indicate? 



1. That there was a marked increase in all types of bruises and of skin 

 punctures when apples were removed from storage as compared with those observed at 

 harvest. In fact, a weighted average of bruises and skin punctures for all 



