CHAPTER, I 

 IlTTRODUCTIOui 



Prult culture has come to such a point in the United 

 States that the harvesting, marketing and general dis- 

 position of the crop have hecome matters of national 

 importance, A general failure of the crop of apples, 

 let it he from the cultural or storage effects, resiilts 

 in serious disturbance of commercial conditions in many 

 important agricultural regions and involves heavy losses 

 to mercantile and transportation interests as well as to 

 the growers and consumers. It inflicts a hardship upon 

 the consiamers hy depriving them of the most useful fnait 

 that is brought into the household, 



Next to crop failiure ajid the control of injurious 

 insects and diseases, the most important feature con- 

 nected with fruit growing at this time is the preser- 

 vation of the crop for sufficient time to allow its dis- 

 tribution to consumers in sound and marketable condi- 

 tion. This feature has become very important since the 

 growing of the fruit has developed on a large scale in 

 the middle and southern states where the climatic con- 

 ditions are not such at the time of harvesting as to al- 

 low a very long living and commercial period for the 



