116 



POMOLOGY 



ripe for picking. The average composition of these varieties 

 is shown in the following table : 



Table XXIII 



AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF SIX VARIETIES OF PEACHES AT DIFFERENT 

 STAGES OF GROWTH (AFTER BIGELOW AND GORE) 



Gould's ^ comments on this table interpret the problem 

 in its relation to earl}^ thinning: "The most important feature 

 of this table from the standpoint of thinning is in showing the 

 rapid rate of increase of the solids in the stones while passing 

 from the June drop stage to the hardening stage. The first 

 analyses of the stone-hardened stage were made June 23 and 

 28, depending on the variety. During the period of fifteen to 

 twenty days, the percentage of solids in the stones nearly 

 trebled. The fact is also brought out that though the average 

 weight of the pit (stone and kernel combined) is only 7 per 

 cent of the weight of the whole fruit, the total solids in the 

 pits comprise more than 25 per cent of the total solids in the 

 whole fruit. 



" It is well to observe also that solids in the flesh remained 

 fairly constant throughout the development of the fruit, 

 the variation ranging from a total of 14 to about 17 per 

 cent, a difference of only 3 per cent, while the solids in 

 the stones constantly increased from about 9.3 per cent at 

 1 Gould, H. P. Loco cit. 



