Robert Sundeen, age 13, of Honeoye, N,Y., for his question:

What happens to the chlorophyll when fruits ripen?

There is a hint of rosy rod in the apple blossom and a hint of purple in the blossom of the plum. Later the petals fade and are replaced by green, green baby fruits. The green, of course, comes from chlorophyll„ the wonderful stuff which makes plant sugar from air, orator and sunshine. There is so much of it in the baby fruits that it masks the pretty colors that showed in the blossoms, but they are still present.

When the fruits ripen., the work of the chlorophyll is done. It breaks apart into basic chemicals which are toted away by the plant. With the green mask gone, the other colors that were there all the time have a chance to show themselves. The apples and cherries are rosy red; the plums, the blackberries and the blueberries are various shades of purple. The oranges and lemons are dyed with the same pigment which colors the carrot.