4 POMOLOGY 



There are no important differences between the ash of the 

 separate varieties of apples, although some variations occur. 



2. Composition of apple fruit. — The degree of ripeness, 

 the variety, and the place where grown affect the chemical 

 composition of apples. In general, they contain from 75 

 to 85 per cent of water, 82 to 84 per cent being rather com- 

 mon. The total solids will be from 10 to 18 per cent of the 

 whole, 75 per cent of which is sugar or aUied carbohydrates, 

 and about half a per cent each is fat and protein.^ These 

 vary markedly, depending on the variety. Malic acid is 

 the predominating organic acid in apples and may run from 

 .15 per cent to more than 1 per cent. Essential oils are 

 also present and are responsible in no small degree for the 

 flavor of the fruit, but they are not easily handled by the 

 chemist and only recently have they been separated and 

 expressed in terms of percentage of the fruit. 



Table IV 



COMPOSITION OF NORMAL MATURE FRUIT OF RED ASTRACHAN APPLE 

 (adopted from CULPEPPER, FOSTER AND CALDWELL) ^ 



3. Ash of fruits. — According to Colby,^ apples and 

 pears withdraw less mineral matter from the soil than do 



^ Culpepper, C. W., A. C. Foster, and J. S. Caldwell, Jour. Agr. Res. 

 7: 17-40. 1916. 



2 Colby, G. E. Ann. Rept. Calif. Agr. Exp. Sta. 1897-98. pp. 143- 

 148. 



