Vol. XXVII, No. i 
16 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
rapidly in 32° temperature than did Delicious and also softened with 
great rapidity at 70°. 
Rome Beauty and Winesap were somewhat harder when picked, and 
while the softening rate was rather rapid, the fruit was in much better 
condition after 10 to 12 days at 70° than were the Delicious and Rhode 
Island Greening apples. 
Ben Davis of all pickings softened with unexpected rapidity in cold 
storage, and surprisingly slowly at 70° F. While Delicious and Rhode 
Island Greening were harder after 6 months at 32 0 than after 12 days at 
70°, and Rome Beauty and Winesap were as soft after 12 days at 70° as 
after 3 to 4 months at 32 0 F., Ben Davis softened as much in 2% months 
at 32 0 as in 12 days at 70°. 
This indicates that the group of varieties which we class as “long 
keepers” are so, not primarily because they soften and ripen more slowly 
in cold storage than do the shorter keeping varieties, but because they 
soften less rapidly when out of cold storage. Thus it becomes par- 
ticularly imperative that such varieties as Delicious and Rhode Island 
Greening be cooled quickly after picking, and be kept cold continuously 
if long storage is to be accomplished. Well colored Delicious can be 
held successfully until April if cooled promptly after picking. Such 
varieties as Ben Davis, Winesap, Yellow Newtown, and York Imperial 
soften relatively much less rapidly when exposed to higher tempera¬ 
tures, and consequently are less severely injured by delaying cold storage. 
All varieties, however, soften very much more rapidly at any temperature 
above 32 0 than at that temperature. 
