- 8 - 



of 3 inch in size. It is our observation that the greater the variation in 

 size, the more damage accrued from customer handling. Reduction in variation in 

 size may be an important way to reduce damage of apples on display counters. 



Larger apples are softer than smaller apples under similar cultural con- 

 ditions. Table II shows that this held true at retail store level in 1960 even 

 though the fruit came from a number of orchards and varied in the number of days 

 from storage to the time the fruit were purchased and examined. 



Table II - The Relationship Between Fruit Size and Pressure Test of Mcintosh 

 Apples Rirchased from Fifty-five Retail Stores in 1960. 



Number of Apples 



99 

 263 

 508 

 379 



92 



Fruit Size 

 Over 3 inch 

 3 inch 

 2-3/4 inch 

 2-1/2 inch 

 2-1/4 inch 



Pressure Test 



10.4 lbs. 

 10.9 lbs. 



11.5 lbs. 



11.6 lbs. 

 12.0 lbs. 



The 3 inch and over 3 inch apples were softer than the smaller fruit (2-1/2 

 and 2-1/4 inch). There was no difference in the flesh firmness between the 

 2-3/4 inch and the 2-1/2 inch apples. 



The results of the 1960 Retail Store Study as seen in Table III show that 

 as the size of apples increased, the percentage of apples below grade also 

 increased. 



Table III - Relationship Between Fruit Size of Mcintosh Apples in Retail Stores 

 in 1960 and Per Cent of Apples Below U. S. No. 1 Grade. 



Increase in Fruit Below Grade in Relation- 

 ship to the Below Grade 2-1/4 Inch Apples 



2.8 times increase 

 2.4 times increase 

 2.2 times increase 

 1.8 times increase 



The data indicate relatively little difference between the 2-3/4 and 3 inch 

 apples in relationship to the per cent below U. S. No. 1 grade. The reason for 

 a higher per cent of larger apples below U. S. No. 1 grade was due to more 

 bruises on the larger than smaller apples (Table IV). 



Table IV - Relationship Between Fruit Size of Mcintosh in Retail Stores in 1960 

 and Per Cent of Apples Below U. S. No. 1 Grade Because of Bruises. 



Size 

 (Inches) 

 Over 3 inch 

 3 inch 

 2-3/4 inch 

 2-1/2 inch 



Number of 



Apples 



54 



94 



160 



77 



Increase in Fruit Below Grade in Relation- 

 ship to the Below Grade 2-1/2 Inch Apples 



0.61 times increase 



0.31 times increase 



0.24 times increase 



