8 BULLETIN 1159, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of better quality, which ripen first, had been picked. Later expe- 
rience showed that rough, coarse fruits color up slowly in the color- 
ing rooms, just as they color up slowly on the trees, although their 
actual solids-acid content may be about the same as that of smoother 
fruit. 
This experiment closed on November 12, when the desired color 
was about 70 per cent developed. It was feared»that a prolonged © 
exposure to the gas would interfere with the palatability of the © 
fruit. In fact, a slight off flavor had already developed in some ~ 
individual fruits. The oranges were left undisturbed for two or — 
more days without any gas in the room. During this time full — 
orange-yellow color had developed. Weighed samples showed no 
appreciable shrinkage or loss in weight. Solids-acid tests made at 
the beginning and at the close of the experiment are shown in Table 
8, as are results of similar tests on a check lot that was held in a 
separate building and in which the color was apparently unchanged. — 
e 
TABLE 8.—Change in solids-acid ratio in a lot of 150 boxes of Satsuma oranges 
during coloring. 
: oe Date : Soluble | Solids- 
Time of observation. igig, | Acid solids. |acid ratio. 
) Per cent. | Per cent. 
SU pss oe a ae a re ees Ley A ee Ae ee Nov. 6 0. 72 8. 46 11.8 
ao (seventh Gay)i.< 20 ee eee ee eee eee tee Nov. 12 .62 9. 38 15.1 
CROCK to Side, sor bees orc abe ei nieeee esas ee eee Se oe ee ae eee do: — 5 62 8. 88 14.3 
For the last experiment. of the season of 1919 two lots of Sat- 
suma oranges, 32 boxes in all, were picked from two different groves. 
The oranges were carefully selected smooth-skinned fruits, with 10 
to 15 per cent natural orange color. These were put in the room 
November 18 and removed November 22. The stove was operated 
continuously, and the fruit was sprayed with water twice daily. 
In spite of this spraying there was an average loss in weight of 2 
per cent. At the close of the experiment the desired color was fully ! 
developed and the fiavor excellent. These oranges were stored in a ; 
packing house until the last of the month, at which time the first | 
om A AIS 
Ae ogee Na BALLET tee ND ieee Nate MOTO bate DEAN. Yas ca 
fruit colored on the trees came into this particular house. The fruit 
colored by gas was packed in separate marked boxes and shipped 
to Chicago with a car of oranges colored on the trees. They were 
sold in the auction along with the other fruit, but as a separate lot. 
The gassed lot sold at a somewhat higher average than the rest of 
the carload. The boxes of these oranges when opened presented a 
better appearance because the pack was tight on arrival, the usual 
shrinkage having taken place during the coloring process before 
they were packed. 
The results of the solids-acid tests made at the beginning and at 
the close of the experiment as well as the results obtained in the 
check sample which did not show any change in color at the end of 
the experiment are presented in Table 9. It will be noted that in 
lot A the solids-acid ratio was the same in the check as the colored 
fruit, while in lot B this ratio was higher, due probably to a varia- 
tion in samples. 
