PICKING MATURITY OF APPLES 11 



GRIMES GOLDEN 



Grimes Golden tends to scald badly in storage, particularly if 

 picked in a somewhat immature condition. If picked while the 

 fruit is still a marked green color corresponding to Nos. 1 or 2, 

 Plate 1, and then moved promptly to cold storage, this variety softens 

 in storage without attaining the golden yellow color which is so 

 desirable on the retail market. Consequently, in order to obtain the 

 best appearance in the fruit, a high degree of resistance to scald, 

 and the best dessert quality, this variety should not be picked before 

 its color corresponds to No. 3, and it may well be left on the tree 

 somewhat longer even than this if dropping is not excessive. This 

 will usually be about 145 to 150 days from date of full bloom. 



In most sections of the United States Grimes Golden is picked 

 somewhat earlier than is desirable for the best storage and dessert 

 quality fruit. It is generally picked at a pressure test of about 20 

 pounds, but if left on the trees until it attains a test of 18 pounds 

 it will hold up practically as well in storage and be larger, better 

 quality fruit with less tendency to scald. The color of the fruit, the 

 pressure test, and the way the fruit is holding on the tree are all 

 valuable indications of the proper picking condition of this variety. 



JONATHAN 



Jonathan usually requires about 140 to 145 days between the time 

 of full bloom and the time when the fruit is in prime picking con- 

 dition. Thus, in southern sections and in the Pacific Northwest it 

 becomes a fall variety ; in the short-season districts, such as Michigan 

 and New England, it becomes an excellent winter-storage variety, 

 being 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 

 marketable fruit combined with good storage quality is to be ob- 

 tained. It is desirable to leave the fruit on the tree long enough to 

 get high color, but if it is left on the tree too long under long grow- 

 ing season conditions it quickly becomes overripe in storage. If the 

 variety is too mature when picked, " Jonathan breakdown " or the 

 total collapse of the flesh is very likely to occur in storage, particu- 

 larly in fruit delayed prior to moving into cold storage or held in 

 air-cooled storage. 



Jonathan has a noticeable tendency to water core as the fruit be- 

 comes overmature on the tree. Badly water-cored fruit of this va- 

 riety usually has very poor storage quality. The development of ap- 

 preciable water core is an indication that the fruit should be picked. 



If the Jonathan is produced in sections having a long growing sea- 

 son, where the variety ripens during warm weather, it should be 

 picked when showing an average pressure test of about 16 pounds. 

 When the pressure test drops to 15 pounds or under, fruit of much 

 less satisfactory storage quality is likely to result. The color of the 

 unblushed portion of the fruit should at least correspond to No. 3, 

 Plate 1, when in prime picking condition. Under these long growing- 

 season conditions the loosening and dropping of the fruit from the 

 tree is not a reliable criterion of picking maturity, since the fruit may 

 be in best picking condition while still holding well on the tree. 



