colonies. 



Fruit growers who depend on rented colonies for pollination would do well to 

 contact beekeepers soon to make certain that sufficient colonies will be avail- 

 able. If sufficient colonies are not available, the grower might consult his 

 county agent or, in an emergency, Mr. Mllo Bacon, Chief Inspector of Apiaries, 

 41 Tremont Street, Boston, Massachusetts, who may be able to furnish names of 

 beekeepers having colonies for rent. 



In an emergency, package bees can be used for pollination, but they are in- 

 ferior on the basis of weight of adult bees to overwintered colonies. If package 

 bees are to be used, they should be ordered sufficiently early so that they can be 

 installed In hives at least a month before bloom, and they should be fed sugar 

 sirup. 



Fruit growers who own their colonies would do well to check them by lifting 

 one end of the hive. Light weight colonies can be fed dry sugar or candy (see 

 Mass. leaflet 148 for directions) at present. As warmer weather approaches, 

 sugar sirup is preferable. 



F. R. Shaw 



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



CAN THE KEEPING QUALITY OF CA McINTOSH BE IMPROVED BY 

 FURTHER MODIFICATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND TEMPERATURE 



The present recommendations which CA operators follow in regard to temper- 

 ature and atmospheric gas levels for CA storage of Mcintosh are largely those 

 found suitable by Dr. R. M. Smock in New York. There is, as with most everything 

 else in the apple business, always the question of whether some modifications of 

 the present standard of 37-38° F, 3-5% CO2 and 3% Oo might be Improved upon. 



For example, if the oxygen level were to be dropped to 3 per cent in a matter 

 of thirty-six hours or less after sealing the room would the apples keep better 

 than they do when the oxygen level doesn't reach 3 per cent until fourteen to 

 seventeen days after sealing? If the temperatures were kept at 32° F along with 

 very low CO2 levels could brown core be avoided and because of the lower temper- 

 ature a better keeping Mcintosh be obtained? Can we improve CA Mcintosh by 

 gradually lowering the temperature as the storage season progresses? 



In order to obtain Information concerning the above questions we stored 

 Mcintosh in rooms where such modifications were made during the 3-year period 

 1957-58 through 1959-60. Quick oxygen drops in our small 200-bushel test CA 

 rooms were obtainable in as little as six hours by purging the rooms with nitro- 

 gen gas at a cost in material of about 10 cents a box. In March of each year all 

 rooms were opened at the same time. Fruit from composited samples were then held 

 at 74° F for varying lengths of time and the extent of deterioration of samples 

 from each room was determined. The results of these tests are sximmarized in 

 Table 1. 



