Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1888-11-23
CHEMISTRY OF ERtllr.
How to Pack Apples So as to Prevent
Decay Before Packing.

logical changes which are akin to those
which occur in plants and animals.
Long after it has been pluclsed from the
tree, the apple continues to develop
and to ripen until 1t has passed through
the seven ages which the poet tells Of,
and has run out term of life which
may justly enough be compared with
the three score years and ten which
span our human existence. 1t is hardly
to be supposed that it would be possible
| wholly to arrest this natural course OF
life OF the ripening apple, as a means
of preserving It in an edible state, To
stop the fruit from breathing would
cause its death, and death would be
followed by chemical changes which
could hardly fail to alter in some way
the texture and flavor OF the materials
OF which the food is composed. II is
true enough that by keeping the apple
cool it may be made to ripen with ex-
treme sslowness and thus be granted a
| long lease of life. This much is done
to-day In many fruit-preserving estab-
| lishments and 1t Is to be noted that be-
sides putting off, as it were, old age
aud decrepitude. the method of refrig-
GRAFTON has the further merit OF keeping
| quiet the microscopic organisms which
cause decay.
| In cases where refrigeration Is inn
practicable, the aim should be TO shield
| the fruit from the attacks Of the micro
scopic organisms just referred TO.
Many kinds of apples (the Roxbury
Russct, for example) are tolerably well
| protected already by tough and warm
| jshed skins, which act as armor to re-
| pei the pigmy foe. Every one knows.
for that matter. how much more quickly
decay sets in when the skin Of an apple
is broken, or even bruised, than when
the skin IL whole. Since the air Of most
localities contains many germs OF the
organisms which cause decay, some
slight advantage is probably gained by
keeping fruit covered in order to pre-
vent the germs from falling upon ii.
rels, the burying Of 1t in sand, or the
mere throwing upon it of layer Of
straw, or clean cloth or some boards
probably helps to shield II. But care
must be taken not to pack or cover up
fruit in such wise that the conditions
shall be favorable for its sweating, for
| whenever moisture Is deposited upon
fruit, decay is greatly favored. 1t is
not we'll either to leave fruit lying in
| great heaps or to pack it In very large
boxes lest heat enough DO developed to
hasten the ripening and to bring on de-
cay,
One fundamental trouble Is that there
are always some microbes clinging to
| the fruit itself when it is taken from
the tree, which are ready to avail
themselves OF any circumstances, such
rs conjunction OF moisture and
warmth. which may be helpful for
their development. II it were but pos
slble to "sterilize' fruit completely,
!. G.. TO FREQ it from all adherlng germs,
would be comparatively easy mat
IL to hinder decay by keeping the
ruit In receptacles to which mir should
have no access until it had been filtered
or made to pass through some disin-
|
mere layer OF cotton batting placed
ipon fruit that had been completely
freed from germs -supposing it were
practically possible thus to free it
would DO sufficient to prevent it from
'ottiug, The great difficulty in this
natter Is to get fair start.
1t is not improbable that germacide
or antiseptic agents may one day be
discovered, which when applied di-
rectly 10 fruit may serve a useful pur-
pose for killing the attached germs and
for retarding decay. But there will be
needed agents which, while killing The
Deocant microbes, shall not kill the liv-
ing cells OF which the fruit itself con-
sists. A useful approximation to this
suggested system OF antiseptics and
coverings is seen to-day In the use Of
s,tlt-marsh hay, which often acts fairly
well for preserving fruits that are
packed in it, Some years ago heard
fruit by burying it in canary
seed. Here air could gain access tc
the fruit freely. but the air was filtered
SO to say, by contact with the seed aut
there was no risk OF the fruit becom
ing damp by sweating. Possibly there
may be some kind of aorld seed-les,
sharp, indeed, than mustard seeC
which would be apt to impart II bat
flavor to the fruit--that might serv,
extremely well as preventative. Per
haps these IDEAS might be initiated by
soaking shoe pegs, On other small Bit
OF wood, in II solution of salicylic acit
(or some such antiseptic agent) ant
packing fruit beneath layers OF these
germioide pegs, after. they had beef
carefully dried Possibly sawdust o
adequate size and hardness. which hat
been thus soaked and dried. might d,
better than the pegs. Malaga grapes
MS imported to this country, are packed
in kegs filled with cork sawdust. On
trying an experiment OF this kind i
would be- well not to place the fruit il
too dry place. lest the fruit SHOULD
shrivel through excessive Transportation
of moisture. The salt-marsh hay JUS
spoken OF. has the advantage of being
both microscopic and germicide, il
some small degree.
For fruits which are liable to begil
10 decay at the core, as happens will
many pears, II is we'll To smear tn,
ends of the stems with melted wax, O
with varnish, to prevent the entrance