32 STUDIES ON APPLES. 
varieties were secured from lots from the same locality, picked at the 
same time, which had been kept in cold storage in Chicago. Samples 
were also secured of the same varieties picked at the usual time, about 
September 15, from trees in the same locality and situated similarly 
to those from which the export shipments had been taken. Early in 
October two barrels of each variety from each picking were shipped 
to Washington from Chicago in refrigerator cars. By special arrange- 
ment the apples were sent direct from cold storage to the cars and 
from the cars to the cold-storage rooms in Washington without expos- 
ing them to a higher temperature for more than a few moments at a 
time. 
It is regretted that samples of the early-picked apples were not 
obtained at the time of picking, but owing to the commercial impor- 
tance of the shipment in question it seemed advisable to work with this 
special lot. The apples were received on October 10 and were exam- 
ined then and at varying intervals afterwards. 
RESULTS OF ANALYSES. 
The analytical results are found in Table III, and the platted data 
in figures 7, 8, 9, and 10. The date of the last examination reported 
in this bulletin was April 27, 1904. It is improbable, however, even 
if they had been made, that continued analyses would have been of 
any material value since the apples of all varieties were decaying 
rapidly. Owing to this fact it is suggested that the results of such 
analyses would jead to incorrect conclusions regarding the change in 
composition of apples in storage, because of a probable selective 
tendency of the rot, it being possible that apples of a certain compo- 
sition may decay more rapidly than those of a different kind. At 
the same time no law has been discovered which seems to control or 
regulate the development of the decay in fruit. The selective ten- 
dency of decay is suggested, therefore, as a possibility which might 
lead to erroneous results in the work, and not as a probability indi- 
cated by the work itself. At the same time it is worthy of comment 
that after October 21, 1903, when decay began, the change of com- 
position of the apples in storage which remained sound was noticeably 
different from the change occurring prior to that date. 
With reference to the solids, the carbohydrates tended to increase 
after October 21, in the case of the early-picked Ben Davis and the 
late-picked Ben Davis and Winesap apples. The change in content 
of carbohydrates was more gradual in the case of the early-picked 
W inesap. 
