38 CIRCULAR 659, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



to which deterioration has progressed since the apples were graded and 

 packed. Most dealers make such inspections themselves or have the 

 opportunity to do so. Hence, if they buy fruit that is badly bruised, 

 overripe, more or less decayed, misshapen, w T ormy or scale infested, or 

 cull, presumably they do it with the intent to offer that class of fruit 

 to customers. 



The wholesale dealer, in making purchases at shipping point, has the 

 responsibility of ordering the transit protective service. Through either 

 experience or consultation w T ith experienced shippers he should make 

 certain that the protection is adequate for the particular fruit being 

 shipped under the weather conditions that are likely to prevail. Whole- 

 sale and retail dealers have a joint responsibility in handling fruit after 

 transit. Serious bruising results every time a box or basket of apples is 

 slapped down on floors, on truck beds, or on other packages. These 

 heavy impacts, which may occur several times after a package has been 

 received at a terminal market, contribute heavily to- the number of 

 badly bruised apples reaching the retail bin. 



Next to bad bruising, overripeness is the greatest cause of complaint 

 among retail purchasers. A criticism often heard is, "Nice-looking large 

 red apples, but mealy and tasteless." That always means overripe 

 apples. How fast do apples get overripe? The answer depends on the 

 temperature — in the retailer's store as well as in commercial storage or 

 in the hands of the grower after harvest. Apples ripen about twice as 

 fast at 70° as at 50° F., twice as fast at 50° as at 40°, and twice as fast 

 at 40° as at 32° (p. 9). If they are ripe when bought for sale, some kinds 

 (Delicious in particular) can become overripe and mealy in 2 or 3 days 

 at ordinary store temperatures and in even less time if they are piled 

 behind windows for display and are not protected against hot sunshine. 

 The safest procedure for a retail merchant is to regard apples from cold 

 storage late in the season as being as perishable as peaches at the height 

 of their season and to move the apples into consumers' hands before 

 they have a chance to get overripe and out of condition. 



Apples purchased in small lots usually cost more than those obtained 

 in large quantity; hence, retailers may buy more than they can dispose 

 of before the fruit gets overripe. Unless refrigeration facilities can be 

 utilized, the merchant who woula 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 in a warm place. 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; and an increasing number of stores are now installing 

 open refrigerated cases with storage compartments below the retail 

 display shelves. 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 base- 

 ment room. 



Packed boxes should always be stacked on the side (fig. 15), and never 

 on the tpp, w T hich is bulged to hold the fruit in place, or on the end, 

 which will concentrate the weight on a smaller area and increase 

 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, 



