36 CIRCULAR 6 5 9, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



of before the fruit gets overripe. Unless refrigeration facilities can 

 be utilized, the merchant who would sell only apples not beyond their 

 prime should obtain fresh stock from cold storage at intervals of not 

 over 2 or 3 days rather than hold a surplus at warm temperature. If 

 some of the fruit must be held over, especially during warm weather, 

 the best place to keep the apples is in a refrigerator. Some stores 

 have a special walk-in refrigerator for fruits and vegetables; others 

 utilize space in the meat cooler. If refrigeration is not available, the 

 apples will benefit by being held in a cool, well-ventilated place, 

 perhaps in the stockroom where screened or barred windows can be 

 left open or in a cool basement room. 



Packed boxes should always be stacked on the side (fig. 13), never 

 on the top, which is bulged to hold the fruit in place, or on the ends, 

 as this will concentrate the weight on a smaller area and increase the 

 chances of bruising. Only when the top is removed and pressure is 

 released, is it safe to let the boxes rest on the bottom lid. Bushel 

 baskets should be staggered by placing one basket on the edges of two 

 others, keeping all pressure away from the center of the lids (fig. 4). 

 To provide good air circulation, which is needed to keep the fruit cool 

 in warm weather, containers of apples should be kept away from out- 

 side walls and should be placed on a false floor or slatted platform with 

 3 or 4 inches of air space beneath. These measures will also reduce 

 danger of freezing damage in cold weather. 



In displaying apples the fruit should be kept away from potatoes, 

 onions, and other root crops from which they may absorb odors. 

 Apples should also be kept away from wet, green leafy vegetables 

 that are sprinkled to keep them fresh, and of course the apples them- 

 selves should never be sprinkled, as this may stimulate decay. How- 

 ever, apples deteriorate rapidly when exposed in warm, dry air ; hence, 

 most of the stock should be kept in the original containers (fig. 17). 

 Displays should not be made near radiators, stoves, or sunny windows, 

 and they should be of such size that they will have to be renewed 

 frequently with fresh stock. 



Frequently dealers make mass displays of apples (fig. 18) , remov- 

 ing them from the containers and piling the fruit in pyramids or 

 otherwise in large lots. This contributes to bruising damage unless 

 very carefully done. In self-service stores, where customers are free 

 to select the fruit that they purchase and where in consequence it may 

 be handled over a good deal, the bruising is increased considerably 

 after the apples are put on display. The extent of this damage, of 

 course, varies, but that it may be serious is shown by the conditions 

 observed in one of the stores covered by Crandall in his survey. 3 

 He examined the fruit in original containers just as it was delivered 

 to the store and also some of the same lots as they were displayed for 

 sale. The results presented in table 4 show that, although handling 

 in the store increased the damage considerably, most of the bruising 

 was present when the apples were unpacked. 



These results reported by Crandall are in general agreement with 

 those reported by Kross and Slamp, 4 who made a somewhat similar 

 study in New Jersey. They examined apples on display in retail 



3 See footnote 2. 



* Kross, Johx I., and Slamp, K. R. selling apples directly to retail stores. N. 

 Agr. Col. Ext. [ unnumbered], 9 pp. New Brunswick, N. J. 1941. [Processed.] 



