EFFECT OF STORAGE ON COMPOSITION. 23 



The weight of the stone before and after storage was determined in 

 only one case, in which practically no change in weight of total solids 

 occurred. Whatever conclusions are drawn from the results of storage 

 therefore depend on the assumption that this variety was typical of 

 all in that respect that is, that no loss in solids in the stone occurred 

 in storage. This conclusion is probably justifiable. In the peaches 

 stored at room temperature (Table VIII) the actual weight of marc 

 decreased in all samples except the Heath Cling. The actual weight 

 of reducing sugar increased in four varieties and decreased in two. 

 The actual weight of sucrose increased in two varieties and decreased 

 in four. The total sugars, calculated as invert, increased in two varie- 

 ties and decreased in four. Owing to the small amount of acids and 

 nitrogenous products present the actual weight of the increase and 

 decrease of these substances is not sufficient to materially influence 

 the results obtained by ignoring these bodies. Since it was found 

 impossible to make the analysis as complete as was desired, some of 

 the determinations of acids and nitrogenous bodies were omitted and 

 an approximation of the undetermined material was obtained by assum- 

 ing that the weight of acids and nitrogenous bodies per peach did not 

 change. This assumption is doubtless not entirety correct, but the 

 error caused by it can not be sufficient to materially affect the figures 

 given for undetermined matter. In all cases, except that of the Early 

 Crawford, the actual weight per peach of undetermined matter mate- 

 rially decreased. 



Owing to the nature of the different varieties, they were kept in 

 storage for different lengths of time, and therefore it becomes neces- 

 sary to reduce the results to a given basis in order to make a com- 

 parison. This has been done by determining the loss per peach of 

 each constituent for one day and dividing this loss, expressed in 

 grams, by the average weight of solid matter in the flesh per peach 

 at the beginning of the storage. On this basis the average loss in 

 common storage was 3.1 IT per cent of solids, 1.751 per cent of marc, 

 1.778 per cent of sucrose, 0.271 per cent of total sugar (expressed as 

 invert sugar), and 1.120 per cent of undetermined matter. 



As would be expected, the peaches stored at the temperature of 

 32 F. (0 C.) changed much more slowly in their composition than 

 those stored at room temperature, and in cold storage (Table IX) it 

 was possible to preserve the samples for a much longer time than in 

 the experiment previously described. The duration of the cold stor- 

 age varied from twenty-eight to sixty-three days. However, the 

 period during which the peaches could be so preserved, as stated 

 (before, was much less than in the case of apples. At the end of three or 

 four weeks the flesh of the peach may begin to discolor and the flavor 

 often becomes greatly impaire4, especially if the atmosphere of the 

 warehouse is impure. 



