10 



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



Figure 4 shows that the first picking softened to between 12 and 11 

 pounds and remained in this range for about 45 days ; after 2 months 

 at 70° this lot tested nearly 12 pounds and apparently was character- 

 istic of firm-ripe fruit although a month earlier it was classed as ripe. 

 The second picking of 1935 became about a pound softer than the 

 first, but remained above 11 pounds for about 45 days and tested 

 oyer 12 at the end when it was considered oyerripe. 



Golden Delicious 



The softening of the Golden Delicious lots is shown in figure 5. 

 In 1935 the apples remained firmer during storage at 32° and 36° F. 

 than in the 1936 and 1937 seasons. At these temperatures the 1935 

 apples tested 11.5 to 12.5 pounds by the middle of April, whereas in 



15 30 



15 



31 



15 



30 



15 



31 



15 



31 



15 



28 



15 



31 



15 



SEPT. 



OCT. 





N " ". 





DEC. 





JAN. 





FEB. 





MAR. 





APR 



Figure 5. — Firmness ( pressure test) of Golden Delicious apples in relation to 

 stage of ripeness curing ripening at various temperatures. The letters on 

 the chart indicate the degree of ripeness, as explained on page 5. The 

 range of firmness or zone representative of each degree of ripeness is 

 given at the right. The letters are omitted from those points at which the 

 designations fall within the corresponding zone at the right, as explained on 

 pages 5 and 6. 



the 1936 and 1937 seasons the apples generally tested between 9 

 and 10 pounds by the middle of February. At 70° there was a 

 tendency for the fruit to soften rapidly at first to a point at which 

 little or no further softening occurred, and some of the fruit increased 

 in firmness. This point varied with different lots and was not cor- 

 related with the firmness at harvest or time of picking. The fruit 

 picked m 1935 was considerably firmer at harvest than the other lots, 

 yet it softened to 9.0 to 10.0 pounds, whereas the second picking in 



1935 did not soften to less than 11, although it was nearly 2.5 

 pounds softer at harvest. In contrast to this the first picking of 



1936 softened to only slightly less than 13 pounds, whereas the second 

 picking softened to about 10. The lots that remained relatively 

 firm at 70° were generally considered less ripe than those that became 

 softer. With this variety there was less overlapping of the pressure- 



