2 CIRCULAR 65 9/ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



are greatly increased. Most retailers are no more interested in apples 

 than in any other commodity that will yield the same profit; so, if 

 there are unusual risks in handling apples, this fruit naturally will not 

 receive the consideration that it otherwise would. 



It is the purpose of this circular to present in concise, nontechnical 

 form the available information on the way in which apples should be 

 handled from the time of harvest so that they will reach the ultimate 

 consumer in prime condition, and to give the reasons for the various 

 recommendations. This information is of special importance under 

 existing war conditions when provision of adequate supplies of all 

 kinds of foods is being emphasized. It would be of little use to pro- 

 duce greatly enlarged crops if they are to be allowed to deteriorate 

 on the way to market or in storage. Therefore, while carrying out a 

 program for increased production of essential foods, emphasis should 

 be given to the avoidance of waste and the proper conservation of the 

 crops produced. Furthermore, proper handling of apples during har- 

 vesting and packing, and the use of proper storage methods before 

 shipment, will lessen the load on transportation facilities already 

 heavily taxed by war traffic, by avoiding the hauling of fruit to market 

 which should be left on the farm or taken to nearby byproduct plants. 



THE GROWER'S RESPONSIBILITY 



In the business of placing good-quality fruit before the consumer 

 it is the responsibility of the producer to grow a crop of good apples. 

 Many growers are, however, more interested in growing a good crop 

 of apples. The difference between the two objectives may seem slight, 

 but in the general problem of giving the public the kind of apples 

 that will stimulate demand, it is significant. It is axiomatic that the 

 orchard must be properly pruned, sprayed, and cultivated to produce 

 a profitable crop. Every successful orchardist. although alert for 

 new ideas in apple culture, is already familiar with good cultural 

 practices and is producing a certain proportion of good apples. Pro- 

 gressive growers constantly strive to increase the proportion of good 

 apples as well as to increase the size of the crop. 



When to Pick Apples 



One of the principal causes of the poor condition of apples as they 

 finally reach the consumer is the failure to pick them at the proper 

 stage of maturity. If apples are picked too soon, they are more 

 likely to shrivel, will fail to develop good eating quality, and are 

 very susceptible to certain functional diseases that develop later, par- 

 ticularly bitter pit and scald. If they are not picked soon enough, 

 they will not stand up well in storage and are subject to other func- 

 tional diseases that often cause serious losses in storage, especially 

 soft scald and internal break-down. The reason for these failures 

 is that the apple is a living organism with a more or less definite 

 potential span of life. If it "lives too fast" either before or after 

 picking, its vitality is exhausted prematurely, and the time it remains 

 in good eating condition is shortened proportionately. 



While the apple is attached to the tree, it is part of the tree and is 

 influenced by any factors that affect the growth of the tree. When 

 the tree suffers from drought, for example, the apple responds by 



