CIRCULAR 5 7 9, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



at fairly high humidities. It is possible that under low humidities 

 somewhat different relationships between firmness and ripeness might 

 be obtained. 



MATERIALS AND METHODS 



One to three pickings of 16 varieties of apples were made during 

 three seasons (1935-37). The fruit was obtained from commercial 

 orchards convenient to the cold storage laboratory on the Arlington 

 Experiment Farm, Arlington, Va., where the fruit was stored. The 

 varieties used and the source of the fruit are given in table 1. 



The apples were placed in storage at 32°, 36°, and 70° F., on the 

 same day that they were picked. The firmness of the fruit was 

 determined by means of a pressure tester at the time of picking and 

 at intervals during ripening at the different temperatures. At 70° F. 

 the pressure tests were made at weekly intervals or oftener, depend- 

 ing on the variety. On apples stored at 32° and 36° F. the deter- 

 minations were made at intervals of 1 to 3 months, at which time 

 lots were placed at 70° F. and the firmness was determined again 

 after a week of ripening at this temperature. Each sample for 

 pressure testing consisted of 20 apples, and 3 tests were made on 

 the pared cheek of each apple, with a plunger seven-sixteenths of 

 an inch in diameter and having a penetration of five-sixteenths of 

 an inch. At the time of the pressure-test determinations the lots 

 were sampled in the customary manner and their ripeness was 

 expressed in the usual terms of "hard," "firm," etc. This was done 

 by one of the writers and, in addition, many lots were checked by 

 one or more of the marketing specialists of the Agricultural Marketing 

 Service. The ratings given by the writers generally agreed fairly 

 well with those given by the marketing specialists. 



Table 1. — Varieties and source of apples tested, 1935-37 



Variety 





Source of apples in — 





1935 



1936 



1937 



Arkansas (Black 



Twig). 

 Ben Davis.. - 



Bnnnm 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 



Va. 

 Watson Orchard, Vienna, 



Va, 

 Taylor Orchard, Falls 



Church, Va. 

 Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 



Va. 

 do 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 

 Va. 



Watson Orchard, Vienna, 

 Va. 



Freezeland Orchard, Lin- 

 den, Va. 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 



Va. 

 do 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, Va. 

 Freezeland Orchard, Lin- 



Delicious 



den, Va, 

 Chilcott Bros., Vienna, Va. 



Golden Delicious. 



Do. 



Grimes Golden 



Jonathan 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 

 . do 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 

 do 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md 

 Do. 



Oldenburg (Duch- 

 ess). 

 Rome Beauty 



Stay man Winesap. 



do 



. Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 

 Va. 

 ..do 



Leeland Orchard, Lees- 



hurg, Va. 

 Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 



Va. 

 do 



Do. 

 Do. 

 Chilcott Bros., Vienna, Va. 



Wealthy 



do 



do 





Willinms 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 

 Va. 



Warrenton Orchard Co., 

 Warrenton, Va. 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 

 Va. 



Loudoun Orchard, Lees- 

 burg, Va. 



Chilcott Bros., Vienna, 

 Va, 



Warrenton Orchard Co., 

 Warrenton, Va. 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 



Watson Orchard, Vienna, 

 Va. 



Loudoun Orchard, Lee=- 



Winesap .. 



burg, Va. 

 Chilcott Bros., Vienna, Va. 



Yellow Newtown 

 (Albemarle Pip- 

 pin). 



YellowTransparent . 



York Imperial 



Warrenton Orchard Co., 

 Warrenton, Va. 



Hillcrest Orchard, Fred- 

 erick, Md. 



Tonoloway Orchard, Han- 

 cock, Md. 



