RIPENING, STORAGE, AND HANDLING OF APPLES 9 



Massachusetts on September 7. Delicious, detailed data for which 

 are not shown, was distinctly softer at Rosslyn on August 7 than 

 in the northern regions on September 7. The same general condition 

 held with Ben Davis. With Grimes Golden, on the other hand, 

 there was little difference between the Rosslyn fruit on August 7 and 

 the more northern grown fruit on September 7. 



During August, 1924, most varieties at Rosslyn were harder than 

 during the corresponding month in 1923. In 1924 the trees were 

 later in blooming and the weather was cooler than in 1923. The 

 fruit in Virginia was softer than that from the more northern regions 

 at any given date but only approximately in proportion to the dif- 

 ference in season between the two sections. Fruit from Wenatchee, 

 blooming two weeks earlier than that in Virginia, closely paralleled 

 the Virginia fruit, although remaining constantly about two weeks in 

 advance of it in softness. 



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Fig. 4. — Change in firmness of flesh and size of Grimes Golden apples, 



1924 



It is somewhat surprising to find that the Iowa fruit was distinctly 

 harder, particularly in 1924, than the same varieties grown in Vir- 

 ginia. The blooming season in the two sections was almost identical, 

 while the mean temperatures at Council Bluffs were only slightly 

 below those which prevailed at Rosslyn. There is no outstanding 

 variation either in temperature, moisture supply, or size of fruit to 

 account for this variation. 



Of particular importance from the point of view of the use of the 

 pressure-test apparatus as a means of determining picking time in 

 apples is the rate of softening just prior to the picking season, as 

 well as the exact condition of firmness of the different varieties from 

 the various sections at the time the fruit is in prime picking condi- 

 tion. 



From all the data which were available, including notes on color, 



adherence of the fruit to the tree and extent of dropping, size of the 



fruit, pressure test, etc., the optimum picking season for the various 



varieties in the different sections has been determined as accurately 



82956—26 2 



