Refrigeration is necessary to extend the shelf-life of market fruits, and the sooner after harvest the better. Under current practice, it may take 12 to 36 hours for even the field heat to be removed from such table fruits as plums, apricots, peaches and grapes. However, orderly harvest and movement of the fruit to adequate refrigeration facilities will shorten the cooling time. Beyond the initial cooling, the shipper should supply adequate cold storage to insure the fruit being marketed in a fresh-appearing condition.