12 



HARVESTING, STORING, AND MARKETING 



indication of proper maturity. Standard color charts are 

 available from the United States Department of Agriculture. 



The development of red color is a factor of great economic 

 importance. Red varieties should be left on the tree as long as 

 is possible with safety so that they may attain the highest 

 possible color. The dark or leaf green of the ground color 

 should be replaced by a decidedly lighter shade. Apples 

 picked while dead green, as has often been done with Rhode 

 Island Greening, are likely to '^scald/' or turn brown in 

 storage. 



Apples ripening in warm weather must be picked promptly 

 since they will deteriorate rapidly; those ripening in the late 

 fall may be picked over a longer period. The grower should 

 keep in mind that fruit ripens more slowly on the tree under 

 normal conditions than after picking or when held in common 

 storage. In other words the best place to keep apples, unless 

 they can go immediately into cold storage, is often on the tree. 



The brown color of the seeds is another indication of ap- 

 proaching maturity but it is by no means conclusive evidence. 

 Apples grown in sod will mature more quickly than those grown 

 under cultivation. Those grown in sandy soils will mature 

 sooner than those grown in heavy soils. Fruit on the north 

 side of a tree colors more slowly than that on the south or east 

 sides. 



As a general rule, pick the apples when most of them sepa- 

 rate easily from the fruit spurs, and before they begin to drop 

 freely. They will in most cases still be hard and firm. 



With some varieties, as Mcintosh, it may be necessary 

 to make two or even more pickings in order to save the market- 

 able fruit, as some of the apples will color and drop before 

 the others are ready. Likewise trees of Wealthy may need 

 several pickings in order that all the crop may be of good size 

 and color. Going over the trees more than once, or ^'spot 

 picking, is becoming general practice in many fruit sections. 

 It is especially desirable in sections growing and packing high- 

 quality fruit. It is usually justifiable on the basis both of suffi- 



