- 3 " 



MTERIALS AND METHODS 



Peaches for this study irere obtaii.ned from growers j.n Georgia, South Carolina, 

 southern Pennsylvania, "jest Virginia, llar^rland, and Virginia, Fruits, 

 representative of all stages of iVjaturity, were obtained by stripping certain 

 trees in the orchards early in the coiTLmercial season for the particular 

 variety and by picking samples fror.i reserved trees at 3-day intervals beginning 

 about a week before the norrial cormaercial harvest and continuing after it. 

 In addition saraples of coiirr.ercially picked fruits xiere obtained from sheds. 



The general procedure was to examine part of the sample of fruit at harvest 

 for (1) firmness by using a pressure tester with a 5/l6-inch-diameter plunger 

 on both pared cheeks and the pared suture, (2) ground color by comparison 

 t-jith a color chart, (3) percentage of surface colored red, (k) size of fruit, 

 (5) pit color, (6) pit freedom, and (?) color and condition of pit cavity o 

 Tne remainder of the sample i-ras held in lined bushel baskets at room tempera- 

 ture (70* to 90* F.) for ripening and tested at 2-da3'- intervals for firmness. 

 A peach was considered ripe when the pressure-test reading on the pared cheeks 

 or suture was less than 2 pounds. A pressure tester with a 10-po\md spring 

 was used on the soft peaches. 



For each sample we established the range in pressure-test readings for peaches 

 requiring different lengths of time to ripen on the assumption that the 

 softest peaches at harvest ripened in the shortest time and the hardest ones 

 in the longest time. The standard for maturity in terms of firmness was 

 taken as the upper limit of pre ssi.ire -test readings for peaches ripening in 8 

 days for all varieties except Golden Jubilee, for which a ripening period of 6 

 days was used. 



RESULTS 



Di:<d.red - Peaches of the Dixired variety develop red color and start tiirning 

 yellow while still very hard and apparently;- immature. Since most of the surface 

 of the fruit of this varietj'" is usually red at harvest and the pit does not 

 become free, the usual subjective tests for maturity are not distinct enough to 

 be satisfactory'-. The tentative standards for m.aturity of Di:d.red peaches in 

 terms of pressure-test readings suggested in 1953 were lU.O pounds or less on 

 the suture and an average of 16.5 pounds or less on the cheeks. The work in 

 195U showed these values to be reliable enough for field trials, 



Di:-dLgem - Tlie work in 195U was eyctended to include the Dixigem variety. The 

 proposed sta.ndards of rnaturit3'- for this variety in terms of pressure-test 

 readings are lUo^ pounds or less on the suture and an average of 16,5 pounds 

 or less on the cheeks, 



Redliaven - Redhaven peaches are sir.Tilar to Dixired in that they start turning 

 yellow and develop considerable red color while still hard and a-pparently 



