14 MISC. PUBLICATIOIT 16 8, U.S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



room or a car and fluctuation in car or storage temperature. Skin 

 breaks may result from careless handling prior to loading, from 

 rough handling in transit, or from shifting and breakage resulting 

 from improper stowage of the load. 



At 50° F. or below, the fungus is not likely to cause rot at new 

 places, although if already established in the fruit it can continue 

 to grow and cause rot. Growth proceeds more and more slowly, of 

 course, as the temperature is lowered, but is not entirely checked, 

 even at 32°. 



CONTROL MEASURES 



The most important factors in the control of the blue-mold rot 

 are careful handling and prompt cold storage. Fruit intended for 

 immediate shipment should be precooled if possible, and methods 

 that hasten cooling in transit should be used. Special emphasis 

 should be placed on careful handling and packing-house sanitation, 

 in order to prevent slrin breaks and keep the fruit as free as possible 

 of fungus spores. 



Delay in cooling, caused either by failure to store promptly, by 

 belated icing of the cars, or by the loading of warm fruit, gives op- 

 portunity for the rot to develop, and so increases the probability of 

 loss. Delay in moving the car also increases this probability by 

 giving the fungus a longer time in which to work. (6, 7, 22^ 69^ &2, 

 80, 98, 100, 101. 11 It,, 136, 195.) 



BOXWOOD SCALD 



Boxwood scald is found when apples are packed in contact with 

 box material made of Douglas fir {Pseudotsuga mucronatd (Raf.) 

 Sudw.) and has been observed more frequently with veneered than 

 with sawed material. The injury is usually circular in outline, 

 dark brown in color, and bears some resemblance to newly produced 

 sun scald. Occasionally the browning occurs in the form of streaks. 

 It is due to toxic terpene materials contained in fir wood. These 

 are water soluble, and consequently the injury is most severe when 

 the apples or boxes are wet when packed or when they become wet 

 after packing. 



The injury will develop on an area lying against a fir board, even 

 though lining and wrapping paper are between the board and the 

 fruit. 



Boxwood scald can be avoided by using some other wood than 

 Douglas fir for box material {65) . 



BROWN ROT 



(Sclerotinia cinerea (Bon.) Schroet.) 



OCCURRENCE, SYMPTOMS, AND EFFECTS 



Brown rot attacks apples, pears, and quinces in practically all pro- 

 ducing sections of the eastern United States and is more common on 

 early than on late varieties. It has also been found on Gravenstein 

 and other fall varieties in the humid sections of Washington and 

 Oregon. The rot seldom causes serious loss. 



