In general, it may be stated that the later York Imperial fruit is 
picked the better its storage quality will be. Unfortunately, this 
variety tends to drop very badly during certain seasons, so that pick- 
ing is often necessary before the fruit reaches the best storage condi- 
tion. Harvest sprays are helpful in preventing dropping but gen- 
erally have been less successful with York Imperial than with earlier 
ripening, longer stemmed varieties, in which the apples do not crowd 
each other off from the spurs by pressure of their own growth. If 
the fruit is holding on the tree, it should be left until the ground color 
attains a shade corresponding to No. 2 to No. 3 of the color chart. 
When the fruit reaches this condition the pressure test usually will 
be about 20 to 18 pounds. The fruit often begins to drop so badly, 
however, that picking is necessary before it reaches this condition. 
Fruit to be placed in common storage should be held on the tree as 
long as possible before picking. York Imperial is a very satisfactory 
variety for holding in air-cooled storage, since it will remain firm for 
a considerable period even if held at moderately high temperatures. 
PICKING TIME IN RELATION TO HANDLING 
It should be noted that when the different varieties remain on the 
trees until late or until the flesh is soft they become very sensitive to 
mechanical injury. Stayman Winesap, Delicious, and Jonathan test- 
ing 16 pounds or less are not only easily bruised but are also extremely 
susceptible to stem puncture and other mechanical injuries. This 1s 
true also of Northern Spy and McIntosh when in condition for pick- 
ing. When harvesting is delayed for any reason, particularly with 
these tender-fleshed varieties, unusual care in handling is essential. 
The details of handling apples are discussed by Fisher (6). 
When picked at an early stage of maturity apples of many varieties 
are rather susceptible to injuries from washing, especially where 
the washing solutions are heated. With advancing maturity, changes 
in the wax of the skin give the fruit added protection and permit the 
use of washing solutions of higher temperatures or stronger concen- 
trations. Where heavy spray residues necessitate severe washing 
treatments, it is advantageous to permit apples to reach optimum ma- 
turity on the tree to avoid the hazards of washing injuries. On the 
other hand, if they are left on the trees until they have a heavy cover- 
ing of wax, residue removal will be difficult and some type of wax 
solvent may have to be incorporated in the washing process to remove 
the residue effectively. 
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