HANDLING APPLES FROM TREE TO TABLE O 



they can. by adding 145 days, immediately tell when to plan on start- 

 ing to pick the Delicious or any of its red bud sports. The study is now 

 being extended to other varieties and other sections, and it is possible 

 that eventually recommendations as to definite lengths of growing 

 seasons can be made for all varieties. 



FIRMNESS AS DETERMINED BY PRESSURE TEST 



Firmness, as indicated by the pressure test, is another index of ma- 

 turity that can be used. To date the pressure test has been used ex- 

 perimentally more than in a practical way. However, in conjunction 

 with other criteria already mentioned, it is an additional useful index 

 of maturity. Used independently of other criteria, it is of value 

 chiefly in determining when apples are becoming overmature and too 

 soft for storage rather than when picking should begin. 



As apples approach maturity, they become progressively less resist- 

 ant to pressure, a characteristic which makes it possible to utilize me- 

 chanical means of measuring the rate of softening. Several types of 

 pressure testers have been evolved. The one most commonly employed 

 is that developed by Magness and Taylor (11). which measures the 

 pressure required to force a plunger seven-sixteenths of an inch in di- 

 ameter into the flesh of the apple to a distance of five-sixteenths of an 

 inch after paring off the skin. Haller (J) has presented the results of 

 a long series of investigations on the use of the pressure test on apples 

 and various other fruits and has reviewed the findings of many other 

 workers. Pressure-test records have been transposed into the ordinar- 

 ily accepted commercial designations of "hard.'* "firm.'' "firm ripe." 

 and "ripe" by Haller. Lutz. and Mallison (€). The publications re- 

 ferred to should be consulted for detailed information as to the appli- 

 cation and limitations of the pressure test. 



WHEN TO PACK APPLES 



Ideally, apples should be packed and stored or shipped immediately 

 after being picked. Danger of blue mold infection is less if this can 

 be done because the danger of injuring the apples during the packing 

 operations is much less if the fruit is hard than if it has begun to 

 soften. Scald can also be controlled much more effectively if oiled 

 paper is applied soon after the apples are harvested. Unless the oiled 

 paper is applied within a month, or 6 weeks at the most, it is in- 

 effective in controlling scald. Another advantage of prompt packing 

 is that it gives an opportunity to sort out the culls, which not only 

 may be sources of infection by rot organisms but which also take up 

 valuable storage space that may be needed for marketable fruit. 



Practically, however, a large percentage of the crop is often kept 

 from a few days to several months before it is packed for market. 

 Sometimes this delay is due to lack of sufficient packing facilities to 

 take care of the fruit as fast as it is picked, and sometimes packing is 

 intentionally postponed or spread out. If the apples are particularly 

 susceptible to bitter pit, it may be advisable to delay packing for a 

 month or 6 weeks to give the disease a chance to become manifest so 

 that affected apples can be sorted out. When the delay is for more 

 than a few days, the fruit is ordinarily placed in storage and packed 

 at the convenience of the owner. Although this has some advantages, 



