16 N. H. Agric. Experiment Station [Bui. 270 



In comparison with 32-degree storage, Baldwins at 30 degrees re- 

 mained distinctly firmer in flesh and significantly more acid, and re- 

 tained a greener ground color, but the flavor never became as good. 

 Baldwins held in common storage remained superior in flavor and 

 quality until about January 1. Common storage is apparently pre- 

 ferable to cold storage at 30 or 32 degrees for fmit to be marketed 

 during November and December. Common-storage fruit declines rap- 

 idly in firmness and acidity, however, and develops a brown area 

 around the core and a breakdown at the surface considerably earlier 

 in the season than fruit in cold storage. 



Baldwins weaken steadily in their resistance to pressure. Quality 

 is best when the pressure test is from 10 to 14 pounds. When this 

 drops below 10 the fruit tends to become mealy and over-ripe. The 

 best flavor is found when 25 to 35 c. c. of N/10 alkali are necessary 

 to neutralize the acid in 50 grams of apple flesh. Before this the 

 fruit seems too green and later it tastes rather flat. The ground color 

 is somewhat yellowish with a liberal tinge of green at the period of 

 highest dessert quality. 



Further storage tests on Baldwins concerned the effect of orchard- 

 fertilizing methods. Fimmess of flesh was greatest in apples from the 

 cultivated plot fertilized with nitrogen. The ground color of this fmit 

 appeared distinctly more yellow throughout the year. The other two 

 plots were on sod, one getting nitrogen only and the other complete 

 fertilizer. The fruit from the three plots was picked on the same day. 



Mcintosh remained more firm and higher in acidity and the ground 

 color greener in forced-air storage at 30 degrees, as compared with 

 forced-air and gravity circulation at 32 degrees and with common 

 storage at 40 to 45 degrees. Better flavor resulted in Mcintosh stored 

 at 32 degrees, except during a period in March and April. In common 

 storage flminess and acidity drop, ground color changes to yellow, and 

 final breakdown and decay occur, all of them rapidly. Flavor is dis- 

 tinctly better until December 1, when it begins to decline rapidly, al- 

 tliough the fruit remains in good market condition until March. 

 Brown-core develops least in this type of storage. 



Comparative cold storage tests of Cortland and Mcintosh showed 

 that Cortland improved in quality, reaching its prime about March 

 15 as compared with January 1 for Mcintosh. Other distinct advan- 

 tages of the Cortland were the absence of brown core and the slight 

 breakdown up to June 1. On the other hand, it seems to be subject 

 to scald. 



Storage Delay Reduces Brown Core 



Five days delay between picking and storing almost eliminates 

 brown core in apples, according to a check on four lots of fruit, one 

 stored immediately after harvest, another five days later, a third after 

 an interval of 10 days, and the fourth in 20 days, all at 32 degrees. 

 By February 15, brown core had affected about 25 per cent of the 

 apples stored directly after picking. None of the five-day fruit was 

 affected at this date, and never more than 10 per cent at any later time. 



General breakdown of the fruit is approximately the same in both 

 lots up to March 15. Although it later becomes more prevalent in 



