STORAGE OF FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND FLORISTS' STOCKS 13 



storage for the maximum period than if they are either immature or 

 overmature (4-6, Jfl). 



To insure soundness and good keeping quality, apples must be not 

 only properly grown and at the proper stage of maturity, they should 

 also be handled in all the operations of picking, grading, packing, 

 and hauling with that degree of care necessary to prevent serious 

 bruising, skin punctures, or other mechanical injuries ; and they should 

 be stored as quickly as possible after they are picked. 



Apples should not be handled while frozen, if such handling can 

 possibly be avoided. Water core does not develop or spread in storage, 

 and in varieties such as Yellow Newtown and Winesap it may actually 

 disappear after a few months' storage, especially if originally present 

 only in a mild form. When large portions of the flesh are affected, 

 especially in soft-textured varieties like Jonathan, Delicious, Stayman 

 Winesap, and Rome Beauty, there is danger of subsequent break-down, 

 and prompt disposal of the fruit is advisable. The diseases of apples 

 in storage are discussed in Farmers' Bulletin 1160 (9) and Miscel- 

 laneous Publication 168 (71). 



For the storage of most varieties of apples the best results are 

 obtained by maintaining a temperature of 30° to 32° F. and a relative 

 humidity of 85 to 88 percent. However, as the storage temperature 

 approaches the freezing point of the fruit the hazard of freezing 

 increases unless the temperature is well controlled and there is good 

 air circulation. Yellow Newtown apples from the Pajaro Valley, 

 Calif., and Mcintosh and Rhode Island Greening apples from New 

 York should be held at 35° to 38° rather than at 32° to prevent 

 the development of internal browning or brown core. Grimes Golden 

 apples should be held at 34° to 36° instead of at lower temperatures 

 (61) in order to avoid soggy break-down. It should be remembered, 

 however, that at these higher temperatures the fruit cannot be held 

 as long as when stored at 30° to 32°, because of the possible develop- 

 ment of Jonathan spot and internal break-down. 



(See 10, 31,61,62,63, 6^) 



If air-cooled storage is used, the temperature obtainable will usually 

 not be much lower than the average of the prevailing outside tempera- 

 tures. The nearer this is to 32° the better. 



The length of time apples can be held successfully in cold storage 

 will vary with the variety and with the district where grown, as well 

 as. with their condition when harvested. Table 4 shows the normal 

 or average storage period and the maximum storage period for the 

 more important apple varieties when picked at proper maturity and 

 stored immediately at 30° to 32° F. 



Table 4. — Normal and maximum storage period for important apple varieties 



Variety 



Storage period 



Variety 



Storage period 



Normal 



Maximum 



Normal 



Maximum 



Jonathan __ 



Months 

 2 to 3 

 2 to 3 



2 to 3 



3 to 4 

 3 to 4 

 3 to 4 

 3 to 4 

 5 to 7 



Months 

 4 

 4 

 4 to 5 

 5 

 5 

 6 

 6 

 8 



Baldwin _ 



Months 



3 to 5 



4 to 5 

 4 to 5 

 4 to 5 

 4 to 5 

 4 to 5 



4 to 5 



5 to 7 



Months 

 6 to 7 



Grimes Golden... . . . 



5 to 6 



Mcintosh . . 





5 to 6 



Golden Delicious . 



Arkansas (Black Twig) 



6 



Cortland.. . . 



6 



Delicious ... . 





6 to 7 



Rhode Island Greening 





8 



Yellow Newtown . ... 



Winesap. 



8 









