“FLESH COLLAPSE”

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 8 December 1927, Page 5

“FLESH COLLAPSE”

dk STORAGE OF FRUIT EXPERIMENTS IN AUCKLAND. HAWKE’S BAT GROWERS’ REQUEST. (Special to "Tribune"] Auckland, Dec. 8. Experiments now being made In Auckland that are likely to add materially to present knowledge regarding cool storage of fruit and assiat to eliminate serious losses to growers and retailors. The investigation is being conducted by Mr. H. E. Watters, of the Department of Agriculture, assisted by Mr. W H. Rice, chief orchard instructor in Auckland, and is being made at the request of the Hawke's Bay fruitgrowers, who have become seriously alarmed at the economic loss involved in the ‘‘flesh collapse" to which Stunner apples are subject after being kept in cool store. Hawke’s Bay growers send 120,000 cases of Stunner apples to Auckland annually to meet the winter demand and losses during recent years have assumed serious proportions, STURMER APPLES The cases no-r being openefl are of Sturmer apples of graduated sizes, grown in Hawke’s Bay and stored for nine months in various cool stores at different constant temperatures. The fruit has been kept at ordinary atmosoheric temperature for 10 days

The cases no-r being openefl are of Sturmer apples of graduated sizes, grown in Hawke’s Bay and stored for nine months in various cool stores at different constant temperatures. The fruit has been kept at ordinary atmospheric temperature for 10 days in order to conform, as nearly as possible, to conditions prevailing when it would be sold in the shops. Apples from individual cases are cut open and photographs are taken of sectional slices. The observations made are being carefully tabulated and the deductions will be the subject of a report to Hawke’s Bay growers at a later date. DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES NEEDED.

Generally speaking the experiment went to show the fallacy that a common temperature could be used in the storage of all kinds and varieties of fruit. Stunners, apparently, could be stored with advantage at a higher temperature than is usual with most other varieties of apple. ft was known that pears and certain other apples required much lower temperature. Speaking of the other “rots” to which the apples were subjected, Mr. Waters said that at least 75 per cent, were easily avoidable. The commonest form was that which appeared near the stalk and rapidly spread through the flesh of the apple. This was entirely the result of wrong picking; wfien the fnift was pulled from the tree instead of being broken off at the stalk.