THE COMPOSITION OF FRUITS 15 



Between the time of the June drop and market ripeness, 

 the peaches increased in weight nearly eight times. During 

 the same time the percentage of flesh in the peach in- 

 creased less than one-half, while that of the stone decreased 

 from 32.5 to 6.86 and that of the kernel from 2.94 to 0.65 

 per cent. 



The percentage of solids of the flesh remains fairly con- 

 stant during the life history of the peach; that is, the increase 

 in solids is fairly proportional to that in water. This is shown 

 by the fact that the percentage of solids did not greatly 

 change from the time of the June drop to the period at which 

 the peaches were considered market ripe. On the other hand, 

 in the same period the stone changed greatly m its nature. 

 As it became harder and more mature, the percentage of 

 water materially decreased and that of solids increased from 

 9.37 at the period of the June drop to 66.94 when the peaches 

 were market ripe. The solid content of the kernel in- 

 creased from 6.89 to 44.78 per cent. At the same time, it 

 should be noted that the percentage of solids in the kernel 

 did not materially increase until after the hardening of 

 the stone. 



By examining the analysis of the flesh, it will be seen that, 

 unlike the apple, the reducing sugars decreased as the ripen- 

 ing proceeded. The same was also true of the percentage 

 of nitrogenous substances in all their forms calculated as 

 total protein, albuminoids and amido bodies, and also of 

 ash. On the other hand, the percentage of sucrose and of 

 acids increased from the beginning to the end of the ex- 

 periment. 



Analyses were also made to determine the changes which 

 take place between what is termed "market ripe" and 

 "full ripe" and the following data present the findings dur- 

 ing this stage: 



