PROCESS OF RIPENING IN THE TOMATO. 
29 
spore tube, tables are presented showing these data in connection with 
tomatoes. Table IX (sec. A) shows the pressure necessary to penetrate 
the epidermis of fruit of different ages. The epidermis of colored fruit 
is softer than that of green tomatoes 38 days old, yet the difference is 
too small to justify the conclusion that green fruits are preferable on 
this account. Table IX (sec. B) also shows the effect of temperature 
on the resistance of the epidermis to wounding. These results indi- 
cate that tomatoes are less liable to injury when cooled than when 
they are warm and consequently are less liable to fungous infection. 
It is generally known also that respiration decreases considerably 
with the lowering of temperature. The products causing the inferior 
taste and flavor in tomatoes probably result from intramolecular 
respiration as a result of withholding free oxygen from the tissues. 
Under the present methods of shipping tomatoes from the South it 
would be impossible to allow cars to remain open throughout the 
entire journey. The initial icing of cars at the warm end of the trip 
would have the effect of preventing the harmful result of lack of 
ventilation by reducing respiration to a minimum. 
Table IX. — Effect of age and temperature upon the resistance to wounding of the epi- 
dermis of Livingston Globe tomatoes, showing also color conditions. 1 
Sec. A 
— Age of tomatoes. With needle hav- 
ing a diameter of 68 microns. 
Sec. B.— Temperature ef- 
fects. With needle hav- 
ing a diameter of— 
Descriptive data. 
7 
days; 
green. 
13 
days; 
green. 
21 
days; 
green. 
30 
days; 
green. 
38 
days; 
green. 
49 
days; 
turn- 
ing. 
68 microns; 
turning. 
78 microns; 
red ripe. 
Temperature of penetration 
(°C. )..... 
30 
41.3 
40.9 
38.4 
40.6 
41.2 
41.0 
39.6 
41.3 
41.7 
41.9 
29 
38.3 
36.3 
37.1 
37.3 
40.3 
40.3 
36.6 
37.6 
36.6 
37.5 
39.8 
39.3 
37.4 
37.1 
38.8 
36.8 
38.4 
39.3 
39.5 
36.4 
29 
23.6 
27.8 
32.6 
33.9 
32.1 
31.5 
29.3 
34.7 
31.5 
34.2 
32.1 
30.5 
26.3 
31.3 
22.6 
29.8 
29.5 
32.3 
24.9 
28.9 
30 
14.4 
23.2 
21.3 
20.4 
23.7 
24.8 
24.9 
25.6 
25.1 
25.5 
27.7 
25.0 
21.6 
28.1 
25.4 
25.6 
33 
32.4 
33.3 
28.2 
24.8 
30.5 
32.6 
25.8 
18.6 
32.2 
30.5 
27.5 
28.8 
30.0 
31.5 
33.9 
30.4 
27.8 
30.5 
33.8 
31.6 
29.5 
30. 7 
32.0 
32.6 
32.3 
26.1 
37.0 
30.2 
32.6 
30.5 
29.1 
30.1 
28.7 
24 
23.91 
32.81 
21.40 
22.97 
25.35 
27.38 
25.38 
18.47 
24.35 
27.80 
29.19 
15.75 
28.54 
16.70 
18.66- 
20. 60 
23.54 
23.36 
16.27 
20.38 
25.08 
25.72 
25 
32.48 
30.87 
32.16 
26.36 
28.91 
27.95 
31.32 
31.86 
23.66 
26.61 
14 
Average of 10 scale readings at 
which penetration occurred 
for individual tomatoes: 
No. 1 
30.92 
No. 2 
No. 3 
31.21 
28.64 
No. 4 
24.65 
No. 5 
22.63 
No. 6 
27.84 
No. 7 
29.32 
No. 8 
29.42 
No. 9 
23.79 
No. 10 
28. 46 
No. 11 
No. 12 .. 
No. 13 
No 14 
No. 15 
No 16 
No. 17 .. 
No. 18 
No 19 . 
No. 20 
Average scale reading for entire 
40.8 
11.75 
14.63 
2.88 
38.0 
10.86 
14.63 
3.77 
30.5 
8.49 
14.63 
6.14 
23.8 
6.38 
14.63 
8.25 
29.3 
8.11 
18.91 
10.80 
31.1 
8.67 
18.91 
10.24 
25.35 
13.20 
23.48 
10.28 
21.33 
11.80 
23.48 
11.68 
29.32 
6.96 
12.04 
5.08 
27.6 
Due to tension of spring. grams 
Weight of needle and rod... do.. 
Pressure necessary to punc- 
ture grams. 
6.46 
12.04 
5.58 
i For detailed information as to the apparatus and methods used to obtain the data presented in this 
table, see the following references: Hawkins and Harvev (22); Hawkins and Sando (23): Rosenbaum and 
Sando (44). 
