FARM STORAGES FOR APPLES 5 



harvesting fruit, especially pears. As growing conditions vary to a much greater 

 extent in the East, the pressure tester cannot be used with the same degree of 

 accuracy. This instrument is particularly useful in the case of varieties that tend 

 to hang on the trees beyond the optimum picking date. It is especially valuable 

 as a means of measuring the condition of apples in storage. 



4. Color of seeds. 



Seed color is frequently mentioned as an indicator of the condition of the fruit, 

 but since the seeds in late varieties of apples commonly grown in New England 

 turn brown from one to three weeks before the fruit reaches maturity, the color 

 of the seeds is an unreliable indicator of the optimum picking date. 



5. Red color. 



Highly colored apples usually bring a premium on the market. Therefore, it 

 is a common practice among fruit growers to leave apples on the trees as long as 

 possible in order to obtain the maximum amount of color. However, in some 

 cases, extra color is obtaii.ed at the expense of the keeping quality of the fruit. 

 Apples that are shaded often become overmature or drop before developing the 

 desired color. Therefore, the amount of red color in itself cannot be depended 

 upon as an indicator of the condition of the fruit. 



In brief, the principal observations that should be made to determine the 

 proper time for picking apples are: 



1. When the "ground color" changes from deep green to yellowish green. 



2. When the stems of the apples separate easily from the spurs or when apples 

 begin to drop. 



3. When the pressure test, as determined by hand pressure or by pressure 

 tester, indicates that the apples have started to soften. 



Time of Harvesting Mcintosh 



Since the Mcintosh variety is of particular importance in New England, it 

 deserves special consideration as to the relationship between the time of harvest 

 and keeping quality. 



Because of wide variations in soil type and altitude of Mcintosh orchards in 

 New England, together with differences in climatic conditions and cultural 

 practices, it is difficult to specify a particular date at which the Mcintosh harvest 

 should begin. However, the practice of twenty-two leading New England fruit 

 growers over a period of five years, as reported in a recent survey, indicates that 

 the majority started picking between the 8th and 12th of September. The dura- 

 tion of the harvesting period varied from five to twenty-seven days, but the 

 majority of growers harvested the crop in from ten to twelve days. 



A few growers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire started 

 picking as early as September 1 , while others in these same states did not start until 

 as late as September 20. Of the two reporting from Vermont, one grower started 

 picking as early as September 4 in 1931, and the other delayed until September 

 16 in 1935. Although both orchards are located in the southern part of Vermont, 

 one grower started picking five days earlier than the other, on an average. 



These reports indicate either that there is a wide difference in growing condi- 

 tions between and within the several states or that some crops were not picked 

 at the optimum time, particularly if they were to be stored. It seems reasonable 

 that the latter is the more probable explanation, particularly in large orchards 

 where, owing to labor conditions, the harvest must be started early in order to 

 avoid excessive drop. 



