Cold Storage of Pears. 



399 



autumn in cooler weather, and in which the normal ripening 

 processes are slower. 



The results of the experiments show that pears of all kinds 

 need to be picked before they reach maturity, and to be ripened 

 in a cool temperature, if the best texture and flavour are to be 

 developed. It is a matter of practical judgment to determine 

 the proper picking season, but the stem should at least cleave 

 easily from the tree before the fruit is ready to pick. Many 

 trees bear fruit differing widely in the degree of maturity at the 

 same time, and in such cases uniformity can be obtained only 

 when the orchard is picked several times, the properly mature 

 specimens being selected at each successive picking. This 

 practice not only secures more uniformity in ripeness, but the 

 fruit is more even and the average size is larger than when all 

 the pears are picked at the same time. 



The pears should be stored at the earliest possible time after 

 picking. If they cannot be kept in a cool place it is better not 

 to pick them, as they ripen much more rapidly after being 

 picked than they do in a similar temperature while hanging 

 on the tree. The effect of delay in storing is most serious 

 in hot weather and with varieties that ripen quickly. 



The fruit should be stored in a temperature of about 32 

 degrees Fahrenheit, unless it is desired to ripen it slowly in 

 storage, when a temperature of 36 or 40 degrees Fahren- 

 heit, or even more, may be advisable. The fruit keeps 

 longest, and retains its colour and flavour best, at the low 

 temperature ; it also deteriorates less rapidly when removed 

 from storage. The packages used in the store should be such 

 as to allow the heat of the pears to radiate freely. This is 

 especially necessary in hot weather and with quickly ripening 

 varieties like the Bartlett pear, which are liable to ripen in the 

 centre of a barrel before the fruit has cooled down. For late 

 pears that are harvested and stored in cool weather it is not so 

 important. A box holding not more than fifty pounds is a 

 desirable storage package, and it is not necessary to have it 

 ventilated. For larger packages ventilation is necessary, 

 especially if the fruit is warm when stored and ripens quickly 

 The chief value of a ventilated package lies in the rapidity with 

 which the contents are cooled, but it has the disadvantage that 



