was probably attributable to the effects of Hurricane Donna in 1960 and to the greater 
distances the fruit of lots 4, 6, and 7 were trucked to the packinghouse. Even so, much 
of this bruising was under 1/2 inch in diameter and was superficial and unobjectionable. 
Bruising in the packinghouse samples was confined mostly to areas less than 3/4 inch 
in diameter. 
Fruit sampled on arrival at retail stores (R-O) showed at least a 50 percent in- 
crease in the bruise index over that of the packinghouse samples (tables 3 and 4). 
Bruises measuring more than 1 inch in diameter were more numerous, ranging from 
7.6 to 29.2 percent. The good condition of the loads arriving at the distributing ware- 
houses indicated that the 2-hour trip from the packinghouse caused little damage. This 
observation was supported by the warehouse sampling of lot 7, in which there was prac- 
tically no change in bruising, although punctures had increased (table 4). Therefore it 
appeared that much of the additional damage sustained in R-O samples occurred after 
the apples had been delivered to the distributing warehouses. 
After the fruit arrived at the retail stores, the amount of bruising increased (tables 3 
and 4). Bruising indexed from 2.1 to 3.0 in the first day purchases (R-1) and was above 
2.6 in most of the second and third day purchases (R-2, R-3). Few apples were free of 
noticeable bruising in these samples, and bruises measuring over | inch in diameter 
were common, Severely bruised tissues frequently leaked from cuts and punctures. 
Decay. --The decay found in orchard-run samples ranged from 0.7 to 5.0 percent 
before grading and packaging. The greater amounts were found in lots sampled late in 
the marketing seasons. Gray mold and Alternaria rot were the common kinds of decay 
found in the orchard-run fruit. 
Decay was no problem in bagged McIntosh apples until the fourth day after packaging. 
At the initial examinations only 10 decayed apples were found in 287 bags containing 
3,533 apples, and 6 of these were found in retail purchases made on the third day (tables 
5 and 6). 
During the holding period, decay was negligible in the packinghouse and R-O samples 
for the first 3 days. Decay development heightened after 4 days and by the end of the 
sixth day 11.1 percent of the fruit in the packinghouse samples and 18.1 percent of the 
retail delivery samples were rotted. By comparison, 24.9 percent of the apples in the 
retail store samples, R-1 to R-3, had developed decay by the end of the holding period 
(tables 5 and 6), 
Practically all the decay that developed during the holding period followed obvious 
bruise or puncture damage (tables 5 and 6). Blue mold rot caused the decay in 92 percent 
of the decayed fruit. 
Firmness, --The initial firmness in the 1959-60 samples was low and variable; it 
averaged 9.8 pounds. Firmness decreased moderately during holding (table 1). Firmness 
in the 1960-61 samples was higher than in the 1959-60 samples, averaging 11.5 pounds 
initially and 10.2-10.4 pounds after holding. Lot 4 had the firmest apples and this fruit 
had the least amount of bruising and puncture damage during the sampling period. How- 
ever, this relationship did not hold for fruit of lot 5, in which considerable bruise and 
puncture damage occurred despite the comparatively firm fruit in this lot (tables 2 and 4). 
DISCUSSION 
Bruises and punctures in McIntosh apples can be reduced by using reasonable care 
in the handling of the fruit from the orchard to the retail store and by protecting the fruit 
against mechanical injury. 
