44 



BACTERIA, YEASTS, AND MOLDS 



that show signs of decay, since decaying fruit will surely 

 be shedding spores which will infect the sound fruit. 

 Such fruit, therefore, should not be allowed to remain in 

 a pantry with other fruit, nor in a cellar. Nor should 

 it be allowed to accumulate in heaps near the home, for 

 insects and air currents are sure to distribute the spores. 

 The removal of all decaying fruit, or its total destruction, 

 therefore, is a necessary safeguard to protect the sound 

 fruit that remains. 



Protection of Fruit from Decay 



There is no thoroughly successful remedy for the decay 



of fruit. It is true that 

 fruit may be preserved 

 absolutely from such de- 

 cay ; but this can only 

 be done by the process 

 of canning, or by some 

 other method of preserv- 

 ing which involves oper- 

 ations totally changing 

 the character of thefruit. 

 These we shall consider 

 in a later chapter. It is 

 not possible by any 

 known means to preserve 

 fruit indefinitely from 

 the attack of molds and 

 at the same time to re- 

 tain its original, natural, fresh condition. Even the hardiest 

 and toughest of fruits will, in the course of months, begin to 



Fig. 25. A small bit of an apple under a 

 microscope, showing the molds breaking 

 through the skin to produce spores, and 

 showing the mycelium running through 

 the substance of the apple. 



I 



