8 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF APPLES AND CIDER. 
all the factors of the problem are properly determined, who can say 
that the horticulturist shall not, within a reasonable time, breed apples 
that are more resistant to frost and to disease ? 
As a continuation of the work begun in 1901/ during- 1903 a further 
investigation was made upon the composition of the more important 
varieties of apples fruiting in the experiment station orchards at 
Blacksburg, Va., in that year. This investigation includes the con- 
sideration of the quantity of juice which was secured from a given 
weight of each kind or variety of apple, and also a chemical analysis 
of both juice and pomace, so as to obtain accurate data as to the 
quality of the varieties and their relative value when used for the 
manufacture of various secondary products. 
PREPARATION OF THE SAMPLES. 
The station orchards have been described and the character and 
growth of the varieties sufficiently noted in bulletins Nos. 128 and 
130 of the Virginia Station to render further descriptive matter under 
these heads unnecessary. 
The samples of fruit for the technical examination were selected 
from the trees when fully mature and placed in ordinary 10-pound 
grape baskets. Care was taken to select representative samples as to 
variations in size and to select fruit from all parts of each tree. These 
samples were labeled as picked and placed in a cool room, or, if nec- 
essary to hold them for analysis, they were placed in cold storage. 
As far as could be determined with such a range of varieties, each 
one was ground when in the best condition to yield the maximum 
amount of juice, but in the case of a few varieties the fruit was held 
until decidedly overripe and mealy, and because of this fact the juice 
percentage is low in these varieties, which are indicated in Table I. 
The sample actually pulped was selected from the specimens in the 
basket with a view to representing fairly the individual character- 
istics of the fruit. Only apples free from speck or injury were used, 
and the stems were left on. The fruits were pulped in a machine 
which consists of a circular rotating basin, in which the sample is 
placed, the pulping or chopping being accomplished by a geared device 
which operates a walking beam carrying a knife at one end, set so as 
to strike squarely on the wooden bottom of the vessel containing the 
fruit. When the crank is turned this machine chops or pulps the 
fruit very finely in the circular vessel as it rotates by a ratchet motion 
beneath the knife. While this operation is slow, it gives good results. 
The vessel carrying the fruit can be detached and the sample recov- 
" l'. S. Dept of Agr., Bureau of Chemistry, Bui. No. 71 : A Study of Cider Milking. 
