HANDLING APPLES FROM TREE TO TABLE 



17 



preventing infection. Bruising and other mechanical injuries lead to 

 blue mold infection. 



Although blue mold enters apples most often through mechanical 

 injuries, it sometimes enters through open lenticels in the skin; through 

 the stem, especially when this is enlarged or fleshy and has been broken 

 or injured; and also through dead calyx lobes resulting from spray in- 

 jury, washing injury, or other causes. Infection is more likely to occur 

 in ripe apples than in those that are still hard; also it is most likely to 

 occur at points of contact with other apples. When apples are washed 

 the spores of decay organisms, especially blue mold, accumulate in the 

 washing solutions and infection through both mechanical injuries and 

 open lenticels is increased. The spore load of the washing solution 

 should be kept as low as possible by sorting out rotten apples before 

 washing, by careful handling to avoid injuries, by periodic renewal of 

 the washing solution, and, where possible, by the use of a copious fresh 

 water rinse. English (5) found sodium chlororthophenylphenate could 

 be used effectively in washing tanks to kill the spores of blue and gray 

 molds and greatly reduce rots caused by these organisms. This chemical 

 is used extensively in the Pacific Northwest in washing apples and 

 pears, and suggestions for its use have been published by the Oregon 

 Agricultural Experiment Station (13). 



In cutting down the loss from blue mold rot good sanitation in and 

 around the packing house and storage rooms is important. As culls 

 are potential sources of- infection for other fruit, they should be stacked 

 outside the packing house and disposed of to byproduct plants or other- 

 wise at frequent intervals (fig. 7). Storage rooms should be kept clean 

 and sanitary at all times, and before each season's use, they should be 

 whitewashed, well disinfected, or otherwise thoroughly cleaned and 

 aired. Whitewashing is simpler and generally preferable to other meas- 

 ures that can be taken. Adding copper sulfate increases somewhat the 



Figure 7. — Hauling cull apples from the packing house. Frequent disposal of culls 

 reduces sources of infection by decay fungi. 



