CIRCULAR 93 5, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Factors Related to Bruising 



Maturity 



Firmness decreased with advancing maturity (tables 1 and 2), 

 and bruising, whether severe or slight, produced damaged areas of 

 greater size on apples of advanced maturity than on less mature fruit. 



Table 1 . — Firmness of Delicious apples at time of bruising and average 

 diameter of bruises, harvest of 1947 





Average 

 firmness 



Slight bruises 2 



Severe bruises 3 



Maturity 1 



Fruits 

 tested 



Average 

 diameter 



Fruits 

 tested 



Average 

 diameter 



Early 



Medium 



Advanced 



Pounds 

 14. 9±0. 19 

 14. 3 ±0. 18 

 12. 6 ±0.38 



Number 

 120 

 124 

 150 



Centimeters 

 2. 31 ±0. 02 

 2. 41 ±0.02 

 2. 45 ±0.05 



Number 

 128 

 122 

 144 



Centimeters 

 3. 18 ±0.03 

 3. 26 ±0.08 

 3. 40 ±0. 05 



1 Early-, medium-, and advanced-maturity fruits, respectively, were harvested 

 at Monitor, Wash., on September 19, at Wenatchee on Sept. 22, and at Orondo on 

 Sept. 29. 



2 Slight bruises produced by pressure of 40 pounds. 



3 Severe bruises produced by pressure of 75 pounds. 



Table 2. — Relation of maturity and firmness of Delicious apples at 

 time of bruising to diameter of bruises, harvest of 1948 





Immature fruits 1 



Overmature fruits 3 



Date of bruising 



Average 

 firmness 



Average 



diameter of 



bruises 2 



Average 

 firmness 



Average 



diameter of 



bruises 2 



At harvest 



Dec. 1 



Feb. 1 



Mar. 21 



Pounds 

 16. 1±0. 19 

 15. 8±0. 15 

 14. 0±0. 13 

 13. 0±0. 14 



Centimeters 



2. 90 ±0. 02 



3. 13 ±0.03 

 3. 19 ±0. 02 

 3. 20 ±0.02 



Pounds 

 15. 3 ±0. 16 

 14. 8±0. 13 

 13. 0±0. 13 

 11. 5±0. 12 



Centimeters 

 3. 04 ±0.02 

 3. 21 ±0.04 

 3. 60 ±0.04 

 3. 54 ±0. 03 



1 Picked Sept. 21. 



2 A total of 36 bruises was produced on each lot at time of bruising. 



3 Picked Oct. 16. 



