8 Department Circular 350, U. 5. Dept. of Agriculture 



RANGE OF PRESSURES IN APPLES AS TESTED BY THIS TYPE OF 



EQUIPMENT 



Table 3 gives in summary form the ranges of pressures which 

 have been found for a number of the important commercial apple 

 varieties at the time of picking, when the fruit is in prime eating 

 condition, and when the fruit would generally be considered past 

 prime eating condition. 



Table 3. — Approximate range of pressures of important commercial varieties of 

 apples between the time of picking and the time of full ripeness as mc -sured 

 hy the pressure-test apparatus, all tests being for fruit with peel removed 





Variety 



Range of pressure (pounds) 





At picking 

 time 



When in 

 prime eat- 

 ing condi- 

 tion 



When 

 overripe 



and 

 mealy 

 (upper 

 range) 



Mcintosh 



15 to 19 

 17 to 21 



16 to 20 



17 to 21 



17 to 21 



18 to 22 

 16 to 22 

 16 to 20 

 16 to 20 



19 to 23 



19 to 24 



18 to 24 



20 to 25 



19 to 24 



7 to 11 



8 to 12 

 8 to 12 

 8 to 12 



8 to 12 



9 to 12 ' 



9 to 13 ; 



8 to 12 



8 to 12 



9 to 13 

 10 to 13 



9 to 13 

 9 to 13 

 10 to 14 



7 



Rhode Island Greening 



g 







8 



King David 





8 



Grimes Golden 





g 



Baldwin 





9 



Rome Beauty 





9 



Delicious 





g 



Stayman Winesap.. 





8 



Winesap 





9 



York Imperial 





10 



Ben Davis 





9 



Yellow Newtown . 



9 



Arkansas (Mammoth Black Twin) 



10 









It is evident that there is considerable range in the different varie- 

 ties at the time they are generally picked. The same variety grown 

 in northern districts will usually be somewhat harder at picking 

 time than if grown in southern districts. There is also a marked 

 variation in the maturity at the time of picking with individual 

 growers. The ranges of pressures given are not reported with the 

 idea that they should be followed as picking tests but rather as the 

 approximate ranges which will be found under present picking 

 conditions. 



In Table 3 are reported the ranges of pressures when the fruit is 

 in prime eating condition. The lower range in this respect for the 

 different varieties represents a rather soft but not mealy eating con- 

 dition, while the upper range represents about the highest point at 

 which most people find the fruit sufficiently soft for eating. These 

 figures have been obtained without particular regard to what the 

 general fruit trade considers " firm " or " ripe," since the interpre- 

 tation of these terms varies greatly with different individuals. 



In the last column of Table 3 is given the range at which the fruit 

 is generally past prime eating condition. Only the upper range of 

 pressure is given for each variety, since the fruit may go down from 

 this to 2 or 3 pounds as it breaks down and disintegrates. These 

 figures will serve as a guide, however, until more elaborate data are 

 available relative to the pressure tests of the different varieties. 



WASniNGTOX :OOVERNME\T PRTNTING OFFICE : 1925 



