84 



THE COLD STORAGE OF APPLES 



In 1S99 a lot of Baldwin apples was sent to Boston for 

 storage in the warehouse of the Quincy Market Cold Storage 

 Company. The warehouse was one in which the temperature 

 was maintained b}^ air circulating over chilled pipes, which is 

 not the usual practice ; but as shown by Professor Rane's ex- 

 periments, it is the best method for fruit. 



The fruit was sent to Boston on November 21, after having 

 been stored in a shed for about six weeks. The apples were 

 packed in flat bushel boxes for storage, and a box was returned 

 from the warehouse to the experiment station by express, at 

 intervals of one month. 



All the analytical work this season was done by Harry A. 

 Clark. The samples were prepared this year by grating the 

 apples with a common tin grater. As nearly as possible one 

 half of each apple was taken. The pulp was thoroughly mixed 

 and a sample weighed for diffusion, as in the preceding season. 



The analyses this season were limited to the sugars, as their 

 changes were most easily studied and appeared to show the 

 rate of dissolution of the fruit. The apples this year were 

 inferior to those of 1898 and were a little too ripe for the best 

 practical results from cold storage, because the fall of 1899 

 was somewhat warmer than usual and had hastened the soft- 

 ening of them. The lot was also a mixed one from all parts 

 of the college farm, and therefore it would be impossible to 

 take samples which would be uniform in quality. 



In selecting apples for analysis only sound hard fruit was 

 chosen, as the object of our work was to determine the chem- 

 ical changes which occurred with no influence of rot to inter- 

 fere. The proportion of sound fruit to that which was decayed 

 or withered is given in Dr. Lamson's report. 



SUGAR IN APPLES, 1899-1900. 



*Duplicate boxes. 



