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Show WjTARD QUANTA MATURE APPLES BEST KEEPERS (Prepared by the United states Departmeat of Agriculture.) From the results of numerous Investigations In-vestigations it seems fairly certain that a great many apples grown In the eastern section of the United States ar picked too early to obtain best results in either common or cold storage, stor-age, says the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture. In general, apples ap-ples for cold storage should not be picked before they show a decided yellow cast in the ground color or until they are beginning to loosen on the tree. An equally Arm fruit of better bet-ter color and flavor and with less tendency ten-dency to scald will be obtained from later picking than from that now generally gen-erally practiced. In common storage late picking will give not only better-flavored better-flavored fruit but also fruit In a firmer condition throughout the storage period. pe-riod. Apples soften much faster In common com-mon storage or if packed and held in the orchard than while remaining on the trees. For best results in common storage, therefore, the picking of most varieties should be delayed as long as the fruit is holding on the tree fairly well or until there is danger of freezing. freez-ing. Exceptions should be made of the Jonathan when grown under long-growing long-growing season conditions. Late picking pick-ing of good common storage varieties results in a firmer and higher quality of fruit in storage. Apples for cold storage also should be fairly well matured when they are picked, both to obtain highest quality and appearance and to reduce the occurrence oc-currence of storage scald. The development devel-opment of scald can be greatly reduced re-duced by the use of oiled paper, but the control will be more effective, particularly par-ticularly in barreled apples, if the fruit is well matured when picked. Data gathered in the tests show that fairly late picking does not resuit in more rapid softening In fruit held at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. |