18 
BULLETIN" 859, U. S. DEPARTMENT. OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table IV. — Progressive changes in the composition of Livingston Globe tomatoes during 
the process of ripening. 
[The asterisk (*) indicates that the given result is based upon a single determination; results not thus 
marked are the mean of two determinations.] 
Constituents. 
Age and color of fruit. 
14 days, 
green. 
21 days, 
green. 
28 days, 
green. 
35 days, 
green. 
42 days, 
green. 
56 days, 
turning. 
56 days, 
red. 
Sec. A. — Percentage of entire fruit: 
Moisture 
Total solids 
Sugar-free solids 
Ash, crude 
Acidity (as citric acid) 
Total nitrogen 
Protein (=N x 6.25) 
Total sugar (as invert) 
Cane sugar 
Reducing sugar (as invert) 
Starch 
Pentosans 
Crude fiber : 
Ratio (sugar -*- acid) 
Carbohydrates- 
Total 
Soluble 
Insoluble 
Determined constituents 
Sec B.— Percentage of dry matter: 
Sugar-free solids 
Ash, crude 
Acidity (as citric acid) 
Total nitrogen 
Protein (=N X 6.25.) 
Total sugar (as invert) 
Cane sugar 
Reducing sugar (as invert) 
Starch 
Pentosans 
Crude fiber 
Ratio (sugar ■— acid). 
Carbohydrates- 
Total 
Soluble 
Insoluble 
*93. 250 
*6. 750 
5.006 
*.634 
.320 
. 1999 
1.247 
1.743 
.018 
1. 724 
1.068 
.332 
*.503 
5.450 
3.647 
1. 743 
1.903 
99. 100 
74. 120 
*9. 390 
4.740 
2.960 
18.500 
25.830 
.264 
25. 560 
15.840 
4.920 
*7. 450 
5.450 
54. 030 
25.830 
28.200 
*94. 140 
*5. 860 
3.824 
*562 
.585 
.150 
.938 
2.006 
.041 
1.962 
.830 
.276 
*464 
3.420 
3.576 
2.006 
1. 570 
99. 801 
65. 250 
*9. 590 
9.980 
2.560 
16. 000 
34. 240 
.708 
33. 490 
14. 220 
4.700 
*7. 920 
3.420 
61. 030 
34. 240 
26. 790 
<94. 140 
*5. 860 
3.753 
*533 
.352 
.1365 
.853 
2.106 

2.112 
.616 
.247 
*447 
5.980 
3.415 
2.106 
1.309 
99. 294 
64. 050 
*9. 090 
6.000 
2.330 
14. 550 
35. 930 

36. 040 
10.500 
4.210 
*7. 630 
5.980 
58. 270 
35. 930 
22. 340 
*94. 540 
*5. 560 
3.416 
*509 
.883 
.1305 
.8156 
2.143 
.018 
2. 125 
.544 
.273 
*484 
2.430 
3.443 
2.143 
1.300 
100. 192 
61. 440 
*9. 150 
15. 880 
2.340 
14. 660 
38. 550 
.323 
38. 200 
9.770 
4.890 
*8. 710 
2.430 
61. 920 
38. 550 
23.370 
*94. 240 
*5. 760 
3.385 
*497 
.640 
.140 
.875 
2.375 
.070 
2.300 
.555 
.264 
*433 
3.710 
3.628 
2.375 
1.253 
99. 870 
58. 760 
*8. 620 
11.110 
2.440 
15.250 
42.230 
1.215 
39. 930 
9.630 
4.580 
*7. 510 
3.710 
63. 970 
42. 230 
21. 740 
*94. 450 
*5. 550 
2.994 
*484 
.397 
.1225 
.766 
2.556 
.018 
2.537 
.222 
.228 
*. 423 
6.430 
*94. 490 
*5. 510 
2.847 
*.504 
.420 
.116 
.725 
2.667 
.024 
2.637 
.146 
.238 
* 394 
6.340 
3.429 
3.441 
2.556 
2.667 
.873 
.774 
99. 526 
99. 580 
53. 940 
51. 670 
*8. 720 
*9. 140 
7.150 
7.620 
2.200 
2.100 
13. 780 
13. 130 
46. 030 
48. 320 
.324 
.435 
45. 710 
47. 850 
4.000 
2.650 
4.120 
4.320 
*7. 620 
*7. 150 
6.430 
6. 340 
61. 720 
62. 450 
46. 030 
48. 320 
15. 690 
14. 130 
From Table IV it may be seen that the tomato contains a com- 
paratively small amount of solid matter and that a considerable 
portion of this consists of acids and sugars, especially in the ripe 
fruit. In fruit 14 days old there are relatively small percentages of 
acids and sugars, but as the tomato matures these increase per- 
ceptibly in the case of acids and markedly in the case of sugars. 
In general, throughout the ripening period there is an increase in 
moisture, acids, and sugars and a decrease in solids, total nitrogen, 
starch, pentosans, crude fiber, and ash. Some of these losses are 
probably not absolute, but attributable to changes in the proportion 
of the constituents. Tracing the figures for moisture content from 
the first column, concerning tomatoes 14 days old, across to the last 
column for ripe fruit, it will be seen that there is a gradual and 
progressive increase in total moisture. The only irregularity is that 
noticed in the fourth column (for 35 days). The moisture content 
here is greater than it should be if the change followed a regular 
curve of increasing water, being greater than in fruit when fully ripe. 
