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



considered hard (H) by the usual methods (tasting, etc.) of deter- 

 mining ripeness. The hard and firm zones overlap between 19 and 

 18 pounds, and ripeness designations of hard to firm (H-F) are 

 omitted in this zone. It should be pointed out that even though a 

 ripeness designation falls outside the zone given at the right, as 

 representative of that degree of ripeness, it does not necessarily fail 

 to conform to those zones. For example, a sample that averaged 19.2 

 pounds would fall in the hard zone of figure 1, yet individual apples 

 in such a sample might test as low as 17.5 pounds and thus fall in 

 the firm zone. To conform to the representative zones at the right, 

 therefore, the sample should be designated hard to firm, mostly hard. 

 However, such a designation would not be omitted from the chart, 

 as the average point falls in the hard zone. Many such instances 

 occur near the borderline zones in all of the charts. 



On the other hand, certain designations are distinctly out of line 

 with the range or zone of pressure test given at the right of each 

 chart as representative of each degree of ripeness. Such extreme 

 ratings were considered to be due to errors in judgment, of estimat- 

 ing ripeness by the usual methods, and the zones were established on 

 the basis of the more consistent results for the three seasons. 



Arkansas (Black Twig) 



Results for the Arkansas variety are shown in figure 1. The 

 average pressure test at harvest ranged from 23 pounds for the 

 first picking in 1936 to 19.1 in 1937. All lots were designated hard 

 when picked. With this variety, lots testing 19 to 25 pounds were 

 considered hard or mostly hard. One lot (second picking. 1936, after 

 1 week at 70° F.) was rated F-(FR) although still testing 19.7 

 pounds. This low rating was probably an error in judgment. Lots 

 testing between 18 and 19 pounds were generally rated between 

 hard and firm, and only one lot testing less than 18 pounds was 

 considered to he hard. Thus, the distinction between hard and firm 

 was fairly sharp. There appears to be considerable overlapping, 

 however, between the firm and firm-ripe stages, as one lot testing less 

 than 15 pounds was rated firm whereas another lot testing nearly 17 

 pounds was rated firm ripe to ripe. Some of this overlapping may 

 have been due to difficulty in distinguishing between firm and firm- 

 ripe apples in this rather firm variety. It was also apparent that 

 the firmness was not an accurate criterion in the riper stages, for at 

 70° the fruit softened rapidly to about 14 pounds after which very 

 little softening took place and in some instances the fruit increased 

 in firmness. "When the fruit first reached about 14 pounds' test it 

 was generally crisp and juicy and rated firm ripe. The fruit con- 

 tinued to ripen and became dry and mealy and was considered ripe 

 with very little or no further softening indicated by the pressure 

 tester. Break-down developed in some of the fruit while it still 

 tested 13 to 11 pounds. Thus, the apples may be overripe even 

 though the pressure test reading remains fairly high. 



Ben Davis 



Softening and ripening of Ben Davis apples for two seasons are 

 shown in figure 2. The pressure tests at harvest averaged from 



