The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1917-12-13

carefully harvested at just the proper
degree of maturity. The handlers part
should be to so handle the fruit in
hauling, grading and packing that it
will not be bruised, scratched, or in
jured. Growers, shippers, and ware
hOusemen should all cooperate to get
the fruit into cold storage as soon as
possible after ii is harvested. 1t is
then the duty of the warehouSeman to
hold the fruit at as low a temperature
as possible, without subjecting it to the
dangers of freezing. The fruit should
then be watched carefully and disposed
of while it is in good marketable con-
dition.
The factors making for successful
storage are discussed in detail In De
partment Bulletin 5S7, storage of APP
plies in the Pacific Northwest" recently
published by the United States depart
ment of agriculture.
Importance of Sound Fruit.
Apples from orchards badly infected
with Northwestern anthracnose, and
apples, generally, that are borne on
trees lacking in vigor, are likely to de-
cay early in the storage life, and we'll
colored portions of the skin of apples
seldom, If ever, develop scald. These
facts indicate the desirability of proper
care of the orchards, including spray
ing and pruning. Keeping the trees
open by pruning will admit the sun
light more freely and so facilitate col
oring. The fact that scald develops
generally on uncolored portions Of the
apple emphasizes the Importance of al
lowing fruit to develop high color be-
fore it is picked for storage. Only
gross negligence on the part of the
handler, shipper, or warehouseman can
nullify the effect of good color and
sanitary orchard practices. On the
other hand, If fruit is poorly grown,
diseased, picked at an improper degree
of maturity, or improperly handled be-
fore 1t is stored, the utmost care on the
part of the warehouseman cannot pre-
vent the development of storage trou-
bles.
In experimental work carried on by
the department apples were stored I'M
der similar conditions when picked i'm
mature, mature, and overmature. In
all cases the apples picked at maturity
kept best. The best degree Of maturi-
ty IL was found Is somewhat short of
eating ripeness, but after the under
color has developed beyond the leaf
green shade.
The Importance of keeping the skins
of apples unbrCken was demonstrated.
Every bruise and scratch furnishes a
possible point of entrance for fungous
organisms causing decay. Nail pune
lures and other injuries to the skin
that are so small as to pass unn0ticed
by the average observer may result In
serious loss through the entrance of
decay organisms.
Prompt Storage Necessary.
The promptness with which the fruit
Is stored and cooled after 1t is picked
is the most Important single factor in
retarding Natural decay, 1t was found.
The more mr. less common practice Of
permitting the fruit to remain out Of
storage for several days In the or
chard or packing house may shorten
its cold storage life considerably, es-
pecially II the weather is warm. In
the experiments, apples stored imme-
diately kept in good condition In stor-
age one month longer than apples held
two weeks in packing houses before
storage.
In the temperature experiments,
some apples were held ut 81 to 81 de-
grees f. and others to 80 to SO de-
grees II. In all these experiments the
fruit held at 81 degrees was in better