AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN NEW HAAIPSHIRE 33 



was set up. This apparatus equipped with automatic reference junction 

 compensation was operated manually. Temperatures were recorded at 

 one-hour intervals for several successive days during Januar\', February, 

 and March. It should be stated that the peach tree under investigation 

 was five years old, of moderate vigor, with sound trunk, and was located 

 on a moderate northeast slope. Thermocouples were inserted 18 inches 

 above the ground level. 



The results are significant and merit review here. During prolonged 

 sub-zero weather, temperatures in the cambium layer and 1.5 inches deep 

 were nearlv identical with t^e temperatures of outside air. Temperatures 

 taken in Januar\' show that at midday in clear weather growing tempera- 

 tures are reached in the cambium layer on the south side of peach trees 

 even though temperatures of the air are below freezing. On the contrary, 

 night temperatures in this cambium layer reach nearly the same degree as 

 those of the air outside. 



More complete temperature studies will be made in conjunction with 

 electrical conductivity measurements taken during the same period. It is 

 to be understood that this approach to the problem of winter injury to 

 fruit trees is in a preliminary stage. 



Further investigations have been made \\ ith dormant raspberr\' canes, 

 which were shaded to produce more uniform diurnal and nocturnal tem- 

 peratures, but wath no apparent results to date. It is believed that much 

 of the winter injury to blackberry canes is associated with spur and cane 

 blights. A spra\'ing program is now under way in cooperation with the 

 station pathologist to prove or disprove this theorw 



R. Eggfri, a. F. Yeager, L. P. Latimer 



Storage of Apples of the Mcintosh Family 



Mcintosh apples from a single orchard were placed in common cold 

 storage and in air-tight gas storage from October 1942 until January 15, 

 1943. Those in gas storage were held for this period in from 8 to 10 per 

 cent carbon dioxide generated by their ow n respiration. Due to internal 

 breakdown Mcintosh apples are normally marketed from common cold 

 storage by the last of January. At that' time we placed several bushels 

 from the gas storage room into the common cold storage room in order to 

 determine the eflrect of gas during the first part of the storage period on 

 the length of time apples of this variety could be kept in marketable con- 

 dition, compared with those held for 'the entire period in common cold 

 storage. Eight bushels of fruit from each of the two methods of storage 

 were graded on July 8, 1943, on the basis of marketable fruit. Only a 

 total of three measured boxes of the apples from common storage were 

 marketable, compared with 6-/3 boxes of those taken from the carbon 

 dioxide gas storage. At an earlier date other boxes from each type of 

 storage were removed to the laboratory and left in a temperature of about 

 70°F. until complete breakdown occurred. These results also indicate 

 that fruit held in 8 to 10 per cent gas during the first part of the storage 

 period will keep at least one week longer, under these conditions, and 

 with less shrinkage after removal from storage, than will fruit stored by 

 the conventional method. 



