UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 859 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chie. 



Washington, D. C. T September 7, 1920 



THE PROCESS OF RIPENING IN THE 



TOMATO, CONSIDERED ESPECIALLY 



FROM THE COMMERCIAL 



STANDPOINT 



By 



CHARLES E. SANDO 



Formerly Junior Chemist, Horticultural 



and Pomological Investigations 



CONTENTS 



F 



Shipments of Early Tomatoes to Northern Markets 



Growing and Handling Tomatoes in the Field ........ 3 



Packing and Shipping Operations 4 



Previous Chemical Investigations of the Tomato 7 



Experimental Material 13 



Methods of Analysis 15 



Analytical Data concerning Progressive Changes in Composition during Ripening 17 

 Comparison of the Composition of Commercially Picked Tomatoes with Turning 



and Vine-Ripened Fruit 21 



Effect of Lack of Ventilation on Ripening 24 



Summary and Conclusions . . . . . . 30 



Literature Cited 32 



Appendix.— Comparison of the Composition of "Puffy" and Normal Living- 

 ston Globe Tomatoes 37 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1920 



