12 BULLETIN 587, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
packing prevent attack. The decay spreads very rapidly after with- 
drawal from storage. The control of northwestern anthracnose must 
necessarily lie in proper orchard sanitation practices. . 
FACTORS AFFECTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAPROPHYTIC FUNGI IN STORAGE. 
Blue mold stands out above all other fungi of this class in impor- 
tance. Although it is the most common fungous enemy of northwest- 
ern apples in storage, it is fortunately one that can be controlled 
almost entirely. In the field and in storage this fungus gains en- 
trance through any broken or weakened portion of the skin. It is 
easily recognized by its distinctive odor, and in its later stages by an 
abundance of small tufts and masses of green spores on the infected 
areas. 
(1) The resistance of varieties to blue mold bears a direct relation 
to toughness of skin and length of stem. Varieties with tender skins 
and long stems with which other apples in the box may be punctured 
are likely to be most susceptible to blue mold. 
(2) The higher the temperature, the faster the development of the 
fungus. For this reason, immediate storage is better than delayed, 
and 32° F. is better than 35° F. 
(3) Because of the weakening effect of severe scald, immature or 
poorly colored fruit is Seeeionaily more susceptible to tue mold ene tn 
well-colored apples. 
(4) Careful handling is the fundamental factor in the control of 
blue mold. It is seldom that an infection can not be traced to some 
injury of the apple that could have been prevented. 
RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENTS. 
The importance of good orchard sanitation in preventing the 
development of storage rots and skin blemishes has already been 
pointed out. As a matter of fact, the grower’s responsibility goes 
back even farther. He more than any other single individual in- 
fluences the keeping quality of his fruit in storage, since by his 
orchard practices he is directly responsible for its quality, vitality, 
and freedom from disease. Only gross negligence on the part of the 
shipper or warehouseman can nullify the effect of good cultural and 
sanitary orchard practices. On the other hand, if fruit is poorly 
grown or is diseased the utmost care on the part of the warehouse- 
man can not prevent the premature development of storage troubles. 
Assuming, then, that one has well-grown and well-developed ap- 
ples, free from disease, the important steps in the successful storage 
of this fruit are as follows: 
1Jnformation regarding pruning and spraying practices for the control of north- 
western anthracnose can be obtained from the experiment stations in the various States. 
