Aug. 1, 1924 
Freezing Injury of Apples 
117 
that the volume of fruit to be cooled 
tends to slow down the rate of cooling, 
and that wraps on the fruit produce a 
similar result. There is evidence that 
some of the fruit undercooled in both 
boxes and it is strikingly noticeable in 
the box of unwrapped fruit. 
INJURY RESULTING FROM EXPOSURE OF 
APPLES IN PACKAGES TO FREEZING 
CONDITIONS FOR DIFFERENT PERIODS 
OF TIME 
In addition to the lots described 
above in which the temperature change 
within the packages was observed, 
other lots were exposed to freezing 
conditions and removed at 24-hour 
intervals. After remaining at a tem¬ 
perature of 65° F. for 3 days the apples 
were examined for injury with the pur- 
for 48 hours without marked deprecia¬ 
tion in market value. Undoubtedly 
7.5 per cent of severe injury would 
be too high to be overlooked. The 
York Imperial apples showed only 
about 5 per cent severe injury after 
48 hours, but the prevailing temper¬ 
atures were somewhat higher. The 
Yellow Newtown showed about 5 per 
cent severe injury after a 72-hour ex¬ 
posure with a prevailing temperature 
slightly higher than that which obtained 
for the Grimes Golden, indicating that 
they were somewhat more resistant to 
freezing injury than the Grimes Golden. 
The regular packing scheme used for 
each of these varieties permitted ob¬ 
servations on the degree to which ap¬ 
ples suffered visual freezing injury in 
different parts of the boxes. Apples 
in the interior lying in the second and 
Table IX.— Percentage of visual injury in apples exposed for various periods of 
time at freezing temperatures and held at 65° F. for three days before inspection 
Average freezing-room 
temperature 
Period of exposure 
Percentage of visual injury 
None 
Trace 
Severe 
Total 
number 
of apples 
GRIMES GOLDEN FROM VIRGINIA 
20° F .. 
24 hours. 
100.0 
0 
0 
122 
48 hours__ 
82.8 
9.7 
7.5 
124 
72 hours. 
67.5 
13.0 
19.5 
123 
YORK IMPERIAL FROM VIRGINIA 
23° F .. 
48 hours..___. 
79.3 
15.9 
4.8 
126 
72 hours.. . 
77.5 
9.9 
12.6 
111 
96 hours -- 
57.5 
15.9 
26.6 
113 
YELLOW NEWTON FROM VIRGINIA 
22° F . 
48 hours... 
98.8 
1.2 
0 
87 
72 hours... 
89.7 
5.7 
4.6 
88 
96 hours--- 
70.4 
17.1 
12.5 
88 
120 hours___ 
52.0 
14.0 
34.0 
100 
pose of determining in 24-hour periods 
how long apples of different varieties 
in such packages could be exposed to 
certain freezing conditions without 
materially injuring the market value 
of the whole package. 
Grimes Golden apples which had 
been in cold storage two weeks were 
exposed to temperatures from 19.5° F. 
to 21°, but about 20° most of the time. 
The fruit was packed in a 4 by 3 pack, 
5 tiers high, in northwestern apple 
boxes with lids. York Imperial apples 
which had been in storage about three 
weeks were exposed to temperatures 
from 21° to 25°, but about 23° most of 
the time. Yellow Newtowns which had 
been in storage about five weeks were 
exposed to temperatures from 21° to 
23.5°, but about 22° most of the time 
(Table IX). 
The data shown in Table IX indi¬ 
cate that under prevailing conditions 
the Grimes Golden apples could hardly 
be exposed to a temperature of 20° F. 
third tiers from tha top in any box 
seemed to be least affected by freezing 
conditions prevailing outside. Greater 
visual injury was found in apples 
touching the sides of the box, the corner 
apples being especially susceptible. 
If, however, the freezing conditions 
were severe as to either length or degree 
of exposure, the degree of visual injury 
found in the apples composing the low¬ 
est tier was generally so great through¬ 
out the tier that possible differences in 
injury intensity existing in apples at 
the side and at the center were not so 
apparent. The apples in the top tier 
in general showed somewhat more 
injury than the two immediately below 
it but considerably less than the two 
lowest tiers. 
The varying power of resistance of 
different apples to conditions bringing 
about visual freezing injury was clearly 
demonstrated in these experiments. 
Specimens were found which showed 
very little injury after exposure to severe 
