458 Report or THE HortTicuLTuRAL DEPARTMENT OF THE 
“For five-years, since 1904, the Bureau of Plant Industry 
has stored fruit from the sod and the cultivated trees in the 
Auchter orchard. From 1904 to 1907 inclusive the apples were 
stored in a temperature of 32 degrees F’. in Buffalo, N. Y., and 
in 1908 in the same temperature in Washington, D. C. The 
fruit has been packed in 50-pound boxes. 
“There was little difference in the character of the fruit from 
the two plots in 1904 either in color or in keeping quality. 
The fruit from the sod trees was a few shades darker in color, 
but both lots contained large, well-colored though rather dull 
apples. Both kept in good condition throughout the com- 
mercial storage season, which ends April 30th. 
“In 1905 both lots were in equally good condition at the end 
of the commercial storage season as regards physical condition 
and the fruit from the sod trees was darker in color and much 
brighter in general appearance. | 
“In 1906, two pickings were made from each plot, the first 
October 10 and the second October 24. The fruit from the 
sod trees was darker in color than the tillage fruit in each 
picking. The fruit of the second picking from the tillage 
trees was much better in color than that of the first picking, 
but not as bright in color as the apples picked at first from the 
sod trees. The best colored apples were from the last picking 
from the sod trees. 
“The fruit from all lots kept in equally good condition, to 
March ist. While the tillage apples were not equal to the 
sod fruit in appearance, the flavor and texture of the sod 
fruit were distinctly inferior. The texture of the sod fruit 
was coarse and the flavor was insipid, with a trace of bitter- 
ness in it. The tillage apples were brittle and semi-firm in 
texture, aromatic and good in flavor. 
“ When the fruit was examined again May 1st, the same dis- 
tinct difference in flavor was present. The best flavoregl fruit 
was picked from the tillage trees October 24. There was no 
decay in any of the apples at this time, but the scald had 
developed on the partly-colored apples from the tillage trees 
to a greater extent than on the better colored fruit from the 
