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of growing season. We do not know the direct influencing factors as yet. Though 

 the season is important, harvesting, handling and storage factors are even more 

 important. 



"2. Time of harvest. The single, most important factor which tends to in- 

 duce internal breakdown or mealiness is harvesting too late. In 1957, Stayman 

 red color development was slow and poor. Growers delayed Stayman harvest long 

 past their normal picking time. Fruits normally harvested in mid-October were 

 picked in late October or November. Frosts occurred before last pickings were 

 made. Undoubtedly most of the fruit harvested was of good dessert quality - when 

 it was harvested, but at best it had little or no potential storage life. We can 

 understand why it broke down in storage or when shipped to market after storage. 

 If necessary, apple growers may need to forego some red color for better storage 

 life. 



"3. Delayed storage. Some growers take several days to get fruit into 

 storage after picking. Others take even longerl Such holding stimulates 

 ripening and softening and adversely affects most fruit. It can be even more 

 critical for nearly-ripe fruit. 



"4. Storage conditions are often poor. Fruit cooling in storage frequently 

 takes several weeks when it should take only a few days. Fruit is often stacked 

 too tightly so that it cools very slowly, taking weeks to cool in a 32°F. cold 

 storage room. Air temperatures are at times too high - sometimes even in the 

 middle of the storage season when there is no excuse for rising temperatures. Few 

 accurate thermometers are to be found in most storages and they have not been 

 checked for years. Storage men are recording the temperatures, but their ther- 

 mometers are often not accurate. Fruit temperatures are not checked. 



"5. After fruit leaves the storage it is often held too long or at too high 

 temperatures in the stores and homes. Fruit picked early, or with optimum ma- 

 turity, will hold up well when sold in the fall, but has less shelf life in the 

 spring and no life when removed from storage in an overripe condition. 



"Research work has not clearly indicated yet whether certain fruit conditions 

 such as water core tend to stimulate internal breakdown or are only associated 

 factors in late harvested fruit. Work has been going on in Massachusetts and West 

 Virginia on this problem. VJe can only ray that severely water-cored fruit, and/or 

 late picked fruit may develop breakdo\m. 



"What orchard factors may help reduce the internal breakdo\^m problem? Since 

 most of the trouble comes from delayed picking in order to get improved red 

 coloring, those practices that tend to give better coloring will help: prune to 

 get more light to the apples; consider reducing nitrogen fertilizer application 

 if nitrogen level is above desired levels. 



"How can I judge when fruit is being harvested too mature for reasonably 

 long storage, or is getting too ripe in storage? Use a pressure tester. It will 

 give the best available index of potential storage life. 



"Check late pickings at harvest and check fruit firmness and condition in 

 storage during the storage season. Remove fruit samples from storage and keep at 

 room temperature to check on condition after storage, for the appearance of dis- 

 orders before they occur in storage." 



