1011.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 225 



2. Premaluve Dropping. —It is but natural that dropping 

 of ripened fruit should follow uneven ripening, and this is 

 conimonlv observed to be the case. We find, also, that apples 

 may drop even at immature stages when the summer heat is too 

 great for the liking of the variety, particularly when the heated 

 period closely follows the period of blossoming. 



3. Rotting on the Tree. — This is another sign of summer 

 heat too great for the variety, which is right along the line of 

 those already mentioned. It occurs with most varieties only 

 when the heat is excessive. The Jonathan is especially subject 

 to this trouble, because the margin k-tween temperature that 

 will give the maximum size, color and quality and one that will 

 cause rotting seems to be narrow, and perhaps within the range 

 of seasonal fluctuations. Therefore there is great danger that 

 (he apples will become overripe and decay before being picked. 



Ji. Poor Keeping Quality. — This defect of southern-grown 

 specimens is also along the same lines of those already dealt 

 Avith. The apples mature to the end of the ripening or after- 

 ripening stages, and being still subject to high temperature, con- 

 tinue rapidly on the road to decay. It is probable that in many 

 cases this difficulty might be largely overcome by picking the 

 apples at the proper stage and placing them at once in cold 

 storage. I am informed by Mr. W. A. Taylor of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture that Baldwins grown in West Virginia 

 kept in a satisfactory manner when handled in this way. The 

 chemical work here reported shows no material difference in 

 the chemico-physiological processes of the growth and maturing 

 of the fruit of a given variety^ whether grown in the north or 

 m the south, but only in the degree of completeness with which 

 they are achieved. 



The converse of this proposition is that northern-giwvn fruit, 

 if well matured, will keep better than that variety grown far- 

 ther south, and this indicates that any variety should be grown 

 as far north as possible to fully mature it in the coolest seasons 

 that are likely to occur. The progress of the stage of after ripen- 

 ing may be easily controlled if the proper facilities are at hand, 

 hut It is an advantage to have the air temperature low at this 

 time unless it is desired to hasten instead of retard this stace. 



