HANDLING, SHIPPING, AND STORAGE OF BAETLETT PEARS. 5 
much higher in dessert quality if removed from the tree two to three 
weeks following the corking over of the lenticels rather than im- 
mediately thereafter. The earliest Bartlett pears to arrive on the 
eastern markets are almost invariably of very poor quality, owing 
to too early picking. 
It has been found, however, that at the temperatures it is possible 
to maintain in a car during transit, Bartlett pears will arrive on the 
market in a greener condition if picked early. The fruit trade at 
the present time demands that pears show mainly green color upon 
arrival, and with this fact in mind, picking, especially in districts 
where considerable difficulty is experienced in getting fruit to carry 
through to market, can not be delayed too long. 
It has also been found, however, that late-picked fruit will hold 
up for a much longer period after it becomes soft and in an edible 
condition than fruit from the same trees picked early. With the 
early-picked fruit there is a period of only two or three days during 
which the pears are in a good edible condition, while fruit from the 
same trees but picked three to four weeks later will remain in good, 
firm condition four to five days after becoming soft enough for 
eating. In districts where little difficulty is experienced in shipping 
fruit to market, a much larger sized fruit, of higher dessert quality, 
and one that will hold up longer for the retail trade, can be secured 
by delaying the initial picking until about 10 days later than is the 
present practice. 
RELATION OF THE CARRYING QUALITY OF BARTLETT PEARS TO THE CLIMATIC 
CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THEY ARE GROWN. 
During the progress of this work a very careful study has been 
made of the keeping and carrying quality of fruit from some of 
these different regions. This study has been supplemented by dis- 
cussions with some of the leading producers and shippers from each 
of the various districts. There are wide variations in the climatic 
conditions under which Bartlett pears are grown in the Pacific 
Coast States, and these are reflected in equally wide variations in 
the keeping and carrying quality of the fruit following its removal 
from the trees. 
In Bartlett pears that are apparently in the same state of maturity 
at the time of picking, there is a marked difference in the number of 
days required for the fruit from different producing sections to be- 
come ripe after removal from the trees. Fruit from some sections 
requires 12 to 14 days when picked at the height of the season and 
held at temperatures of 60° to 70° F. following picking before it 
is in prime condition for eating. Such fruit is usually of a close- 
grained texture, rather firm when fully ripe, and ripens evenly 
throughout the whole fruit. 
