EXPORT OF APPLES.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1922, Page 4

EXPORT OF APPLES.

CAUSES OF BROWN HEART AN EXPERT’S VIEWS. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright. Received Oct. 15, 5.5 p.m. London, October 13. Replying to an inquiry from the Fruit and Produce Exchange of Great Britain, Ltd regarding the causes of brown heart in apples, Dr. Charles Brooks, pathologist to the United States Department of Agriculture, says he thinks it is largely due to an accumulation of the gases given off by apples, and also that it is favored by the high temperature which must have existed to produce gases in such large quantities. It was probably also favored by any overripeness in fruit. A similar disease is known in the United States, called internal breakdown, which is thought to be entirely due to over-ripe-ness at picking-time, but is also brought about by storage at a high temperature. The removal of foul air by suction from the bottom of a ship’s holds would largely prevent brown heart and entirely prevent it if a proper temperature was maintained before cooling. This would probably eoable apples to go through even worse than the present shipping conditions without any great development of brown heart. Further, if a ship has sufficient refrigeration and thoroughly renews the air by ventilation during the first part of the voyage, they will probably be able to prevent the trouble without pre-cooling. Under present conditions it is very dangerous to open a chamber after it is once closed, but it ought to be possible if a ship has sufficient refrigeration to reduce apples to a proper storage temperature within a few days. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.