STORAGE OF APPLES IN THE* PACIFIC NORTHWEST. pag 
RESPONSIBILITY AND INSPECTION. 
The responsibility for the successful storage of apples obviously 
does not lie with the storage warehouseman alone. In fact, he has 
largely done his part if the apples are properly stored as soon as 
they reach the storage house in clean well-insulated rooms held at a 
uniform temperature of 31° to 32° I’. where each grower’s fruit of 
each variety can be examined occasionally and quickly withdrawn to 
meet the demands of the market. 
As has been previously shown, the first responsibility lies with 
the growers and shippers, since cultural and handling methods 
largely determine the condition of the fruit when stored. Through 
his cultural and orchard sanitation practices the grower determines 
and is responsible for the inherent keeping quality of fruit and its 
freedom from fungous troubies. Through the care exercised in han- 
dling, the time of picking as related to maturity, and the promptness 
of cooling and storage, the growers and shippers largely determine 
the life and behavior of the fruit in storage. 
As many factors influence the keeping quality of the different lots 
and as few lots even of the same variety possess the same keeping 
quality, occasional inspections of representative boxes of each vari- 
ety from each grower are desirable. In this way the lots most 
advanced in maturity can in so far as possible be disposed of while 
still in good condition. The difficulties of making such inspections of 
all lots in storage are often great. Nevertheless, anyone familiar with 
the wide variation in keeping qualities of different lots of apples 
_ apparently identical at the time of storage will not seriously question 
- the value of such inspection in connection with the disposal of storage 
7 holdings in the best merchantable condition. 
| COMPARATIVE KEEPING QUALITIES OF VARIETIES OF PACIFIC 
NORTHWESTERN APPLES. 
_ In order to secure an accurate comparison of the keeping qualities 
of the more important promising fruit a great many varieties of 
fall and winter apples were tested in cold storage. These tests were 
made with lots from North Yakima, Wenatchee, and Spokane, 
Wash.; Hood River, Medford, and Milton and Freewater, Oreg.; 
Payette, Idaho; and other sections of the Pacific Northwest. The 
investigations were extended over a period of four years, during 
_ which time approximately 600 boxes of apples were used in these 
_ variety tests. All lots were held at a temperature of 31° to 32° F. 
; Table V gives the varieties on which the data are sufficient to base 
_ dependable conclusions. An attempt has been made in this table 
to arrange the varieties in the order of their keeping qualities. This 
is based on their market condition, texture, color, quality, flavor, 
and the amount of decay and ee blemish. It also includes the 
a a er ee ee aS ee 
