HANDLING, SHIPPING, AXD STORAGE OF BARTLETT PEARS. 5 



much higher in dessert quality if removed from the tree two to three 

 weeks following the corking over of the lenticels rather than im- 

 mediately thereafter. The earliest Bartlett pears to arrive on the 

 eastern markets are almost invariably of very poor quality, owing 

 to too early picking. 



It has been found, however, that at the temperatures it is possible 

 to maintain in a car during transit, Bartlett pears will arrive on the 

 market in a greener condition if picked early. The fruit trade at 

 the present time demands that pears show mainly green color upon 

 arrival, and with this fact in mind, picking, especially in districts 

 where considerable difficulty is experienced in getting fruit to carry 

 through to market, can not be delayed too long. 



It has also been found, however, that late-picked fruit will hold 

 up for a much longer period after it becomes soft and in an edible 

 condition than fruit from the same trees picked early. With the 

 early-picked fruit there is a period of only two or three days during 

 which the pears are in a good edible condition, while fruit from the 

 same trees but picked three to four weeks later will remain in good, 

 firm condition four to five days after becoming soft enough for 

 eating. In districts where little difficulty is experienced in shipping 

 fruit to market, a much larger sized fruit, of higher dessert quality, 

 and one that will hold up longer for the retail trade, can be secured 

 by delaying the initial picking until about 10 days later than is the 

 present practice. 



RELATION OF THE CARRYING QUALITY OF BARTLETT PEARS TO THE CLIMATIC 

 CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY ARE GROWN. 



During the progress of this work a very careful study has been 

 made of the keeping and carrying quality of fruit from some of 

 these different regions. This study has been supplemented by dis- 

 cussions with some of the leading producers and shippers from each 

 of the various districts. There are wide variations in the climatic 

 conditions under which Bartlett pears are grown in the Pacific 

 Coast States, and these are reflected in equally wide variations in 

 the keeping and carrying quality of the fruit following its removal 

 from the trees. 



In Bartlett pears that are apparently in the same state of maturity 

 at the time of picking, there is a marked difference in the number of 

 days required for the fruit from different producing sections to be- 

 come ripe after removal from the trees. Fruit from some sections 

 requires L2 to 1 I days when picked at the height of the season and 

 held at temperatures of 60° to 70° F. following picking before it 

 is in prime condition for eating. Such fruit is usually of a elose- 

 grained texture, rather firm when fully ripe, and ripens evenly 

 throughout the whole fruit. 



