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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 587 § 
Joint Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry “a A 
WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief, and the Bureau of 2 
Markets, CHARLES J. BRAND, Chief 
Washington, D. C. vV September 8, 1917 
THE HANDLING AND STORAGE OF APPLES IN THE 
PACIFIC NORTHWEST. 
By H. J. Ramsey, Pomologist in Charge, Fruit Handling and Storage Investiga- 
tions; A. W. McKay, formerly Pomologist, and KE. L. MArKett and H. S. Birp, 
formerly Scientific Assistants, Office of Horticultural and Pomological Inves- 
tigations.* 
CONTENTS. 
Page. | Page. 
Importance of cold storage...................- 1 | Immediate versus delayed storage........... 18 
Hanehion of Cold'storagess:cuc.. 2522 ccecc ens 3 | The effect of storage temperatures.........--. 21 
Experiments of the United States Depart- Common: Storage seas ae Mey cniuette yee 23 
MISMO e MAT CUIGMT Orc oh ccisec sou ocean 0c 3 | Deterioration after withdrawal from storage. 24 
Onuclinerohexperiments eons oss seo. le es 4 | Local versus distant storage of northwestern 
Troubles affecting apples in storage and fac- F210) (stop Pes ae Rey Be gs slap egg bar ecg do 25 
LOUSNMALNOW CONLTOM a ao asdanueee- 2.5 ois © 5 | The relation of orchard practices to successful 
Results of the experiments........-.......-- 12 SUOTAL Oe eas Pe ae eae cont ook Brn 26 
Maturity at the time of picking............. iS 13 | Responsibility and inspection.............-. 27 
When is an apple at proper maturity?....... 15 | Comparative keeping qualities of varieties of 
Bitect ofovermaturity...-22-..-22.2--2.2-.. 16 Pacific northwestern apples ............--- 27 
MArOimb ao ee se eT 2 ee bok a ess by | Samimaty io eee th. oS. ee tee 31 
IMPORTANCE OF COLD STORAGE. 
According to the census reports of 1910 there were at that time 
6.044,918 apple trees of bearing age and 8,643,228 apple trees of non- 
bearing age in the States of Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The 
production in bushels for 1909 is given as 5,262,985, as compared with 
1,826,620 bushels 10 years before. In 1913 the apple crop for the 
four counties of Chelan, Douglas, Okanogan, and Grant, in the 
State of Washington, was conservatively estimated at 4,328 carloads. 
1B. B. Pratt, formerly Pomologist; C. W. Mann, Pomologist; K. B. Lewis, formerly 
Scientific Assistant; George W. Dewey, W. C. Quick, V. W. Ridley, Carl E. Schuster, and 
EK. D. Vosbury, Scientific Assistants in the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Inves- 
tigations, were actively engaged in the prosecution of these investigations at various times 
during the period covered by the work. 
Notr.—The fruit and vegetable handling, transportation and storage investigations 
formerly administered in the Office of Horticultural and Pomological Investigations, 
Bureau of Plant Industry, are now being prosecuted jointly and cooperatively by the 
Bureau of Plant Industry and the Bureau of Markets. 
