Special Report 



NOTES ON THE APPLE GATHERED FROM THE MISSOURI 

 EXHIBIT 



L. A. Goodman 



The gathering, keeping and exhibiting of Missouri Fruits was a study, 

 a lesson, a work, an experiment. Not being sure of some of the results, 

 or of the plans of procedure in keeping the apples, it required all of the 

 different lines of experiment to make a success of the keeping. We began 

 the work, therefore, of collecting apples for cold storage on Sept. loth, 

 and finished on Nov. ist, 1903. Putting into storage some varieties which 

 we supposed would not hold over, we were agreeably surprised to find that 

 they came out of storage in May and June in very good condition indeed. 

 These were such varieties as Ortley, Lowell and Wolf River. All of this 

 fruit was gathered when in the best of condition, that is ripe, well colored, 

 firm and as near perfect as we could find it. The specimens were at once 

 wrapped in tissue paper and then in wax paper packed closely in boxes, or 

 barrels and sent at once by express to the cold storage, and there placed 

 in a temperature of 31 to 32 degrees, and held at this temperature during 

 the whole of the season. 



I am sure if this plan is followed we can keep apples without loss. 

 Of course it would not be possible in a commercial way to follow this plan 

 because of the expense, but the nearer we can approximate this plan the more 

 perfectly the apples will keep. We exhibited, for instance the Gano apple 

 three years, two years and one year, so that we had on the tables during the 

 month of November, 1904, plates of Gano apples of 1901, 1902, 1903 

 and 1904. As a result of our plan of gathering and handling we also kept 

 Flora Bell, Ortley and Lowell until June first ; Maiden Blush and Wealthy 

 until July first ; Jeffries, Wolf River and Grimes Golden until August ; 

 Huntsman, York, Winesap, Rome Beauty, Black Twig and others of that 

 class held until September and October in splendid condition, except that 

 they were scalded somewhat. After these dates, although we had these 

 varieties on the tables much longer, yet they showed the damage done by 

 scald while in cold storage. 



The length of time the apples kept on the tables depended upon the 

 character of the flesh of the apples as well as the condition of the fruit at 

 gathering time. It is not so much the keeping qualities of the apple while 

 in cold storage, although that is also an item in their favor, but it is the 

 consistency, firmness, character of the flesh, the inherent qualities of the 

 apple itself. Apples like Ingram, Clayton, Lawver, Willow Twig, Gano, 

 Ben Davis, Jonathan, Nickajack, Early Pennock, Flora Bell, Maiden 

 Blush and Lady Sweet will hold from one week to one month after being 

 put upon the tables, and hold in good condition, no matter what the 



