12 



STATION BULLETIN 356 



serious, but no Fusariuni rot was present. At a remote corner when 

 the temperature was near freezing, a little black rot was in evidence, 

 but many squash had decayed from Botrytis, Alternaria. and 

 Fusarium. 



A general observation in support of which no figures can be pre- 

 sented is that medium-sized scjuash of 15 to 20 pounds weight seemed 

 to keep better than the lots of oversized specimens. This is a rea- 

 sonable expectation since scjuash ovaries at blossom time already 

 have their full number of cells. Increase in size thereafter comes 

 from enlarging these cells. Therefore, an oversized sc|uash would 

 probably have larger and more easily crushed cells than a smaller 

 specimen. The extra weight of large specimens resting on a small 

 area might bring about more bruising and more loss. 



Respiration Losses 



Figures in later years confirmed the first year's results in that a 

 loss in weight of about 15 per cent may be expected in specimens 

 which do not decay during a six-month-storage period. 



Preliminary chemical studies of the 1943 crop show approximate- 

 ly the changes presented in Tables 7 and 8. More detailed results from 

 the 1944 crop will be ]:)ublished when the analysis of the numerous 

 samples is completed. 



We note from Tabic 7 that, while the total weight decreases by 

 only 15 per cent, the solids decrease 44 per cent and the carbohydrates 

 67 per cent. Thus, a pound of squash becomes continually less val- 

 uable as an energy food as the season progresses. 



Even this does not tell the whole story. Tabic 8 shows what has 

 happened to the solids themselves during this time. 



In addition to the actual loss in solids from 13 to 8 per cent, 

 which means an increase in moisture ])er cent from 87 to 92 per cent, 

 the story told by these data is a ra])icl change of the starch to sugar. 

 We might thus expect a squash to taste sweeter after some storage 



Table 8. — Chemical Changes in Blue Hubbard Squash in Storage. 1943-44 



