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that the behavior of different apples or different A'arieties of 

 apples in a storage room is largely dependent on their condi- 

 tion when they enter the room. In general it is the function 

 of the storage house to furnish a uniform temperature of the 

 desired degree of cold throughout the storage season. 



There are various conditions that affect the keeping quality 

 of apples in storage of which the following are most impor- 

 tant : — 



(a) The Condition of the Fruit. — The behavior of apples in 

 storage depends upon their condition when they enter the 

 room. No two lots should be expected to act alike unless they 

 are in a similar condition when stored. If one lot ripens more 

 than another after being picked and before being placed in stor- 

 age, it will deteriorate more quickly in the storage house. In other 

 words, it is nearer the end of the life cycle M'hen it is stored. 



(6) Teviperature for Keeping the Apples. — The commercial 

 practice of 31 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit in the warehouse will 

 hold back the ripening of the fruit more than a higher tem- 

 perature. It also checks the development of diseases if dis- 

 ease germs are present. When the fruit is removed from the 

 warehouse to a warmer temperature it remains in good con- 

 dition longer when taken from a temperature of 31 or 32 de- 

 grees Fahrenheit than when removed from a higher storage 

 temperature. Under favorable conditions winter varieties of 

 apples may be stored satisfactorily throughout the season in 

 a temperature of 34 to 36 degrees. This higher temperature 

 is adapted to farm storage houses and warehouses in which 

 the fruit can be placed soon after picking. 



(c) The Time to pick Apples for Storage. — The ideal apple 

 for keeping in cold storage is fully grown, highly colored and 

 still hard when picked from the tree. The scarcity of labor, 

 the difficulty that is experienced in getting cars for the trans- 

 portation of apples, and the frequent congestions in the freight 

 traffic and the railway terminals often make it necessary to 

 begin picking the crop relatively early in the season, so that 

 many apples which are not in first-class condition for long 

 keeping go into storage. These difficulties are an argument 

 in favor of having the storage cellar located on the farm. 



{d)' Effect of Color. — Keeping quality is often correlated 



