F. Because of scald and core breakdown, this fruit was discarded 
without attainment of an acceptable dessert quality. Comice in sealed 
polyethylene 100 was free from scald, but only approximately 50 
percent ripened normally in 6 days; 28 percent developed core break- 
down without the prior attainment of normal ripening, and 22 per- 
cent remained hard without the appearance of either scald or core 
breakdown. 
These results indicate the appearance and ripening capacity of 
Comice pears can be improved by storage in sealed Pliofilm 80 FM1 
and polyethylene 100. A cold storage period of 160 days, even with 
the added protection of the sealed film, is too long to always insure 
acceptable dessert quality in this variety upon ripening. Probably 4 
to 6 weeks’ extension of storage life can reasonably be expected by 
packing Comice pears in the above sealed films. 
BOSC PEARS 
Ripening Capacity and Dessert Quality 
Bose pears have even a shorter cold storage life than the Comice 
variety; they usually lose their capacity to ripen normally by the last 
of December. Information on the packing of this variety in sealed 
film is hmited to the use of polyethylene 100 in the 1952 season. 
Bose pears packed in the standard manner and in sealed polyethy- 
lene 100 film were stored at 31° F. for 98 and 161 days before removal 
for ripening. After 98 days, fruit in the standard pack was con- 
sidered eating ripe after 8 days at 65° and had a normal flavor, but 
because of very granular texture, it was of poor dessert quality. Its 
loss of normal ripening capacity was apparent at that time. Com- 
parable fruit in the sealed film (opened immediately, or after 2 and 4 
days at 65°) was eating ripe in 8 days and had a good flavor, Juicy 
texture, and a dessert quality that was greatly preferred to that of 
the standard pack. The lot opened immediately after removal from 
cold storage maintained an acceptable dessert quality during 7 addi- 
tional days at room temperature. 
At the second withdrawal for ripening on March 10, 1953, after 
161 days at 31° F., fruit in the standard pack had completely lost its 
capacity to ripen. It remained hard and granular in texture without 
the attainment of acceptable dessert quality. Bosc pears in the sealed 
film softened, but developed only a limited juicy texture in 8 days of 
ripening. While flavor was normal, their dessert quality was inferior 
to comparable pears ripened in January. These storage and ripening 
studies indicate that Bose pears cannot be stored as late as March and 
still develop good dessert quality, even though they are stored in sealed 
polyethylene. Probably the storage life can be extended 4 to 6 weeks 
by packing this variety in sealed polyethelene film. 
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES 
Earlier Studies 
Most of the synthetic films available in 1948 for packing Golden 
Delicious apples in sealed box liners injured either the dessert quality 
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