PROCESS OF RIPENING IN THE TOMATO. 27 



ficially acquire a much better color than vine-ripened fruit. The 

 color is deeper and more even. 



Investigation has been made by Duggar (17) of the effect of various 

 conditions on the development of the tomato pigment (called by 

 this author lycopersicin) . He studied the effect of light and tempera- 

 ture on its development and concluded that high color is independent 

 of any direct effect of light and that fruit will redden perfectly in 

 darkness at a temperature of even 20° to 25 Q C. He also states that 

 "when half -grown varieties are employed a. temperature of 30 Q C. 

 is sufficient to suppress lycopersicin development to a marked extent. 

 Fruits nearer maturity, that is, those showing a blush of color, permit 

 a stronger lycopersicin development at all temperatures employed." 

 Duggar (17) also .studied the relation of oxygen to pigment produc- 

 tion in the tomato and concluded that lack of oxygen inhibited 

 lycopersicin development. 



From a consideration of all the data it appears that wrapping is 

 harmful to the tomato and that lack of ventilation is probably the 

 main cause of inferiority in taste and keeping quality. 



In 1913 Hill (24) reported on the respiration of fruits and growing 

 plant tissues in certain gases with reference to ventilation and fruit 

 storage. He found that apples and peaches ripened poorly when 

 oxygen was withheld from them. It was also pointed out that an 

 accumulation of carbon dioxid within paper wrappers in which 

 peaches are shipped and _ an insufficient supply of oxygen cause 

 "ice scald." 



Fischer and Nelson (18) recently came to a similar conclusion 

 with regard to wrapping cantaloupes, maintaining that "wrapped 

 cantaloupes do not refrigerate so well in transit nor do they reach 

 the consumer in as good condition as do cantaloupes not wrapped." 

 In both of these investigations similar conditions were found to be 

 the result of wrapping, namely, that wrapped fruits were firmer 

 but of poorer quality than those unwrapped. 



Another serious disadvantage of the present method of picking and 

 shipping green tomatoes lies in the fact that it is practically impossible 

 to determine comparable stages of maturity in picking. In spite of 

 the fact that the fruit of individual baskets is all approximately of the 

 same size, the coloring of the fruit does not occur at the same time. 

 The explanation for this fact has already been given. The- maturity 

 of a tomato depends on its age and not on its size; consequently 

 fruits of the same size do not necessarily ripen and turn red simulta- 

 neously. The most obvious disadvantage of the inability to deter- 

 mine comparable stages of maturity is the fact that when the fruit 

 does ripen, either in transit or after reaching the market, it colors up 

 so irregularly that many sortings become necessary before the dealer 

 is able to dispose of it. The more uniform in size and color a package 

 is the more salable it is, so naturally the dealer sorts the fruit to insure 



