when picked this late Grimes Golden fruit will be rather green (proba- 
bly about No. 1.5 to No. 2 of the color chart) and a harvest spray will 
probably be necessary to prevent dropping. 
Because of the likelihood of dropping and for other reasons, Grimes 
Golden generally is picked somewhat earlier than is desirable for 
obtaining the best storage and dessert qualities. 
Storage of Grimes Golden at 36° F. rather than at 32° has been 
recommended because of its greater susceptibility at 32° to scald (9) 
and to soggy break-down (17). However, it has a relatively short 
commercial storage period, deteriorating in dessert quality rather 
rapidly during storage; this deterioration is more rapid at 36° than 
at 32° (9). If the fruit is not picked until 145 days from bloom it 
should be possible to control storage scald with oiled paper. Thus, 
storage at 82° to retard loss in flavor would be preferable to storage 
at 86° in districts where soggy break-down is not a factor. 
JONATHAN 
Jonathan usually requires about 135 to 140 days from full bloom to 
early picking maturity (4, 8, 74, 19),§ but under some conditions 
acceptable maturity may be reached in 130 days. Thus in the southern 
section and the Pacific Northwest it becomes a fall variety; in the 
short-season sections, such as Michigan and southern New England. 
it is excellent for winter storage, being fairly well adapted to holding 
even in air-cooled storage. 
Jonathan, particularly as grown under long-season conditions, is a 
variety which must be picked in just the right condition if good 
marketability combined with good storage quality is to be obtained. 
It is desirable to leave the fruit on the tree long enough for it to 
develop a high degree of red and the characteristic spicy, aromatic 
flavor. After this condition is attained there is frequently a relatively 
short period before the fruit becomes overmature, and it may develop 
Jonathan spot and water core while still on the tree. Even when 
these conditions do not occur overmature fruit is hkely to become 
overripe rather quickly in storage and to develop Jonathan spot, 
break-down, or both during storage, particularly if moving into cold 
storage is delayed. Under certain growing conditions Jonathan is also 
subject to soft scald during storage. The severity of the soft scald 
varies with the condition of the fruit at harvest, but its relation to 
maturity has not been entirely consistent. In general, it appears to 
be more severe on early to intermediate maturities. 
Although the elapsed time from bloom to maturity has varied con- 
siderably under different conditions, it is probably the most reliable 
index of maturity. Jonathan generally requires at least 135 days 
from bloom to earliest maturity and in some sections possibly 140 days. 
Optimum maturity generally occurs between 140 and 145 days from 
bloom. Under some conditions, however, the fruit may be overmature 
before a period of 150 days has elapsed. The minimum period that 
should elapse from bloom to picking is 1385 days. Picking may be 
delayed for further development of the red color provided the fruit 
is still firm and free from water core. The development of water core 
or the softening of the fruit to 15 pounds’ pressure or less would indi- 
cate that the fruit should be picked promptly. 
5 See footnote 2, p. 2. 
16 
