68 



BACTERIA, YEASTS, AND MOLDS 



bring to our houses is already infected with the molds in 

 question, nothing that we can do will protect it from their 

 subsequent growth and consequent decay. The only 

 alleviating remedy is, as mentioned in other cases, to 

 keep the fruit cool, because none of these microorganisms 

 grow readily while in low temperatures. Dryness is of 

 no value, since the molds are already within the fruit, 



where there is moisture 

 enough. 



This cause of the de- 

 cay of fruit is, however, 

 of no very great signifi- 

 cance to the ordinary 

 household, because in a 

 great majority of cases 

 the fruits infested with 

 these troubles will show 

 some signs of decay be- 

 fore they reach the mar- 

 ket. The loss comes 

 upon the fruit grower, 

 upon the person who buys 

 the fruit for storing, or upon the dealer ; rarely will the 

 decay thus produced be delayed sufficiently for the fruit to 

 be marketed, sold, and carried away by the customers. The 

 consumer would not distinguish this from the more com- 

 mon types of decay. For this reason this type of fruit 

 disease, while of great significance to the farmer and to 

 the one who handles fruits, is of no very great impor- 

 tance in the ordinary household and need not here be 

 further considered. 



Fig. 27. Peaches decaying on the tree. 



