-6- 



A random sample of fruit was immediately examined for water core. The amount 

 of water core present was classified as slight, medium or heavy. It can be noted 

 in Table I that the amount and severity of water core increased with each delay in 

 picking date. A delay of 15 days at harvest, from October 1 to 15, resulted in a 

 one pound decrease in fruit flesh firmness. The reason for the slight decrease in 

 fruit flesh firmness from October 15 to 29 is not known except that more mature 

 apples are inclined to drop first and the mean temperature for thip period was 11.2 

 degrees less than for the period of October 1 to 15. 



On March 7, 1960, the fruits were removed from storage and immediately ex- 

 amined for the presence of water core. 



TABLE II - The Effect of Picking Date on the Amount of Water Core and Internal 

 Breakdown in Starking Delicious After Storage, March 7, 1960. 



Picking No. of Apples with Water Core A pples with Internal Breakdown Press. Test 

 Dates Apples No. Apples Per Cent No. Apples Per Cent 3/7/60 



10/1/59 279 0.0 0.0 12.5 



10/15/59 293 17 5.8 55 18.8 12.4 



10/29/59 265 54 20.4 54 20.4 10.2 



Table II shows that during the storage period, water core disappeared from 

 the fruit harvested October 1, 1959 and no internal breakdown developed. The 

 water core disappeared from most of the fruit harvested October 15, 1959 but 

 18.8 per cent of the fruit eventually had internal breakdown. On the other hand, 

 20.4 per cent of fruit harvested October 29, 1959 had water core and the same per 

 cent had internal breakdown. 



There was no difference in the per cent of apples having either or both, 

 water core and internal breakdown for the two harvest dates, being 23 per cent 

 for fruit harvested October 29 and 18.8 per cent for those harvested October 15. 



Ninety-seven per cent of the apples with internal breakdo\ra at the end of 

 the storage period of the lot harvested October 29, 1960 also had water core pre- 

 sent. Eighty-seven per cent of the apples with internal breakdown of the lot har- 

 vested October 15, 1960 had water core. 



' f 



In order to determine effect of 7 days of room temperature on the fruit 

 approximately half of the fruit in each sample removed from storage on March 7, 1960 

 were held 7 days prior to examination for water core and internal breakdown. 



TABLE III - The Per Cent of Starking Delicious Having VJater Core and Internal 

 Breakdown Immediately After Removal from Storage oi March 7, 1960 

 and After 7 Days at Room Temperature. 



y. Apples Having Water Core 7. Apples Having Internal Breakdown 



Picking Upon Removal From After 7 Days at Upon Removal From After 7 Days at 



Date Cold Storage _ Room Temp. Cold Storage Room Temp. 



10/1/59 0.0 0.4 0.0 3.6 



10/15/59 5.8 5.4 18.8 28.1 



10/29/59 20.4 « 15.6 20.4 28.6 



