18 N. H. Agr. Experiment Station [Bulletin 262 



Fruit growers are prone to fear a deficiency of phosphorus and 

 potash in the orchard and frequently spend considerable sums for mixed 

 fertilizer. All of the evidence available to date indicates that at least 

 with a surface application the extra expense is not justified. (Adams 

 Fund) 



Changes in Apples During Storage 



Tests of the keeping quality of Baldwin and Mcintosh apples grown 

 under different field conditions and held under various storage con- 

 ditions were continued by E. J. Rasmussen. 



With the Baldwin, differences in lots from different orchards con- 

 tinued to be outstanding. Baldwins from the renovated orchard of the 

 Horticultural Farm kept satisfactorily both at 32° F. and at 30°. 

 Similar Baldwins from the Woodman Orchard failed to attain good 

 flavor at either temperature and at 30° developed a browning about 

 the core. 



Baldwins grown on trees in sod fertilized with 10 pounds of nitrate 

 of soda showed no differences in firmness, flavor, ground color, or type 

 of final breakdown from apples grown on trees under similar condi- 

 tions but which for 12 years have received 7 pounds of acid phosphate 

 and 4 pounds of sulphate of potash per tree applied on the surface of 

 the soil. A slightly higher acidity was noted in the fruit from the 

 complete fertilizer plots. 



Baldwins from a cultivated plot in which the trees received 5 pounds 

 nitrate of soda per tree showed no significant differences from those 

 grown on trees in sod receiving 10 pounds of nitrate of soda per tree. 



On April 1 Baldwins removed from cold storage and placed in a 

 room at 65° F. lost their crispness in 7 to 10 days, became mealy ripe in 

 14 days, but were still marketable after 17 to 18 days. 



With Mcintosh, storage under forced-air circulation gave results 

 identical to those under gravity-air circulation. Since there were but 

 few test boxes, the rate of cooling was about the same in both cases. 

 With large commercial lots, the "blower" cools the fruit from 65° F. 

 to 30° in 48 hours as opposed to 150 under gravity-air circulation in 

 an ordinary room refrigerated with coils on the wall or ceiling. 

 Prompt cooling is usually advantageous, and since in most installations 

 the "blower" is cheaper than the coils, it is to be preferred if results 

 are as good as in the older system of cooling. 



Holding Mcintosh for 5 days in a room at 65° F. prior to storing 

 did not alter the pressure test, acidity, or ground color, as compared 

 to similar apples cooled immediately after picking. On the other 

 hand, the fruit delayed 5 days showed improvement in flavor and less 

 breakdown due to browning at the core than the apples stored imme- 

 diately. This trouble appeared February 20 in the fruit stored imme- 

 diately after picking and by May 20 had affected 95% of the apple. 

 In the fruit delayed 5 days the trouble was not noted until March 10, 

 and on June 25 only 33% of the apples were affected. Breakdown of 

 the outer cortical region of the apple was somewhat increased by delay 

 in storage, 30% of the apples showing this trouble by June 20 against 



