14 UNIV. OF N. II. AGR. EXPERIMENT STATION [Bulletin 338 



degree. The thinnini^- in this case was not as severe as that which is 

 ordinarily recommended, and was done in late July and early August. 

 (Pnrnell Fund.) 



CHANGES IN APPLES DURING STORAGE 



A study of the changes occurring in ap])les during storage was hegun 

 hy L. P. Latimer. Duplicate lots of three sizes of Baldwin apples (large, 

 medium and small) were stored res]:>ectively in common storage at Wilton 

 and cold storage in Manchester. At Alanchester a temperature of 31°-32° F. 

 was maintained throughout the season. The atmosphere in the Wilton 

 storage was kept moist by water passing through channels in the room. A 

 temperature of 30°-35° F. was maintained from November 15 to March 20. 

 A temperature around 37° F. was then maintained until early in May. The 

 temperature subsequently rose to 50° F. by June 20. 



In general there w-as a tendency for the apples to ripen a little more 

 rapidly in common storage than in cold storage. This was indicated by a 

 change in the ground color of the fruit from green to pale yellow. 



Large apples yellowed up sooner than small ones in both storages, but 

 apples of a given size assumed the yellow ground color sooner in common 

 storage than in cold storage. In every case the largest apples were always 

 more attractive and better flavored than the small sized fruit. 



In general the electrical resistance of the apple tissue was lowered about 

 10 percent during the first two months of storage under both conditions. 

 There was then an increase for a period of six weeks, followed by a 

 decrease again for six weeks. After this date there was no further change 

 in the resistance of the tissue of apples stored at 32° F. There was. how- 

 ever, a large increase in fruit tissue resistance in common storage, amount- 

 ing to about 23% between April 15 and June 20, when the experiment 

 ended. A somewhat greater electrical resistance was constantly observed 

 in the smaller fruits. 



The pressure test ( showing the number of pounds pressure necessary to 

 puncture the skin and flesh of the fruit with a plunger ^ inch in diameter) 

 was generally lower in the common stored apples than in the cold storage 

 lot. 



There was little or no consistent difference in pressure tests of fruit of 

 different size. 



The changes in hydrogen ion concentration (PH) during the storage 

 period were observed at intervals of two to three weeks. Generally the 

 curve for PH was nearly identical for apples stored in both common and 

 cold storage. Also the fruits of diff^erent sizes varied very little from one 

 another during the season. fPumcIJ Fund.) 



ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT FOR FARMS 



The three years' program on the relation of electricity to agriculture is 

 now complete on seven New Hampshire farms. Representative dairy, 

 poultry, fruit and general farms were chosen. W. T. Ackerman, in co- 

 operation with the state and national committees on the Relation of Elec- 

 tricity to Agriculture, secured data on the efificiency of about 100 pieces of 

 electrical equipment on these farms. The amount of the equipment 

 returned at the end of the three years" trial indicates in the farmers' judg- 

 ment the comparative values. Purchases were made at a discount. 



