Jan. 5,1924 
29 
Physiological Studies on Apples in Storage 
At the temperature here studied (64.5° F. or 18 0 C.) the respiratory 
ratio in all untreated fruit was fairly close to unity, averaging slightly 
above. Coated fruit averaged a somewhat higher respiratory ratio. 
Experiments 6, 11, and 12 show an average ratio of 1.16, while checks 
for York Imperial and Winesap runs averaged 1.04. Data on the 0 2 
absorption of oil-coated Rome Beauty apples were lost. Consequently, 
at 64.5° F. it appears that the oxygen supply was somewhat depleted in 
coated fruits as compared to untreated fruit, and that there was the 
beginning of anerobic respiration with resulting bad flavor. 
Only data for the analyses of the intercellular atmosphere of Rome 
Beauty apples held under these tests are available, but they bear out the 
suggestion that the oxygen supply was very largely depleted in the coated 
fruit. These data are reported in Table VII. 
From these results, which represent averages of a number of deter¬ 
minations, it is apparent that coating the surface of the fruit had so 
reduced available oxygen as to render anerobic respiration probable, 
whereas untreated fruit had an abundance of oxygen within the tissues. 
Data in Table VI showing a greater C 0 2 output per unit 0 2 intake in oil- 
coated than in untreated fruit indicate that anerobic respiration was 
already occurring to a limited extent. 
This conclusion is further borne out by results reported in Table VIII, 
which records respiration data for Winesap and Rome Beauty apples 
held at a temperature of 8o° F. (26.5° C). 
Table VIII .—Respiration of apples at 8o° F. (,26.5 C .) 
Ex¬ 
peri¬ 
ment 
No. 
Description of fruit. 
Weight 
of 
fruit. 
Run 
No. 
Length 
of 
run. 
Kilo¬ 
gram 
hours. 
Weight 
of CO2 
CO2 
per 
kilo¬ 
gram 
hour. 
COj 
per 
kilo¬ 
gram 
hour. 
Oi 
per 
kilo¬ 
gram 
hour. 
Respi¬ 
ratory 
ratio 
CO* 
O*. 
Gms. 
Hours. 
Mom. 
Mgm. 
Cc. 
Cc. 
z 
Winesap; after 4 months at 
2,740 
1 
70 
191.8 
4. ;86.6 
24-95 
12.70 
xi. 65 
1.09 
32 F.; unwrapped box. 
2 
69I 
191. X 
4,404.7 
23*05 
«*73 
12.24 
.96 
2 
Winesap; similar to experi¬ 
2,650 
1 
70 
i 85-5 
3,207. 5 
17-3 
8.8x 
4 . 20 
2. ij 
ment 1, except coated 
2 
69$ 
184.8 
2,812.8 
15-3 
7*74 
5.76 
i* 34 
with mineral oil when re* 
moved to 26.5° C. 
.3 
Winesap; same as experi¬ 
2,637 
1 
69! 
184. X 
4,470.8 
24-3 
12.37 
11.43 
x.08 
ment 1. 
2 
69 
184.4 
4 , 173 -8 
22.6 
11.50 
12.12 
*95 
4 
Rome Beauty; early pick; 
3 ,U 3 
z 
69H 
216.9 
5 , 755 - 3 
26.5 
13-49 
12.89 
1.05 
after 4 months at 32 0 F.; 
3,005 
2 
69 i 
210.0 
4 , 978.6 
23-7 
12. 06 
12.88 
•94 
no treatment. 
5 
Rome Beauty; similar to 
2,525 
1 
69! 
176.1 
3 ,563 -9 
20. 2 
IX. 20 
4*57 
2*45 
experiment 3, except oil- 
2 
69! 
176.3 
2 , 937-6 
16. 7 
8.50 
7-15 
1.19 
coated when removed to 
26° C. 
Experiments 1 and 3 show normal Winesap apples under test at 8o° 
F., with experiment 2 showing similar fruit oil coated when the test was 
started. Normal fruit has a respiratory ratio averaging 1.025 an d 
1.015 for experiments 1 and 3, respectively, while the oil-coated fruit gave 
a ratio of 1.75. Results on Rome Beauty were very similar. The 
rate of C 0 2 evolution in both varieties was reduced from normal only 
about 35 per cent by the oil coating. This reduction was no greater in 
proportion than that at 64.5° (see Table VI). At the higher temperature, 
however, oxygen could not enter the oil-coated fruit sufficiently rapidly 
to supply the need, and anerobic respiration resulted. Analyses for the 
internal atmosphere of some of the fruits held at 8o° F. are recorded in 
Table IX. 
