The fruit grower frequently finds it desirable to store liis fruit 

 after picking until more favorable market conditions occnr ; but 

 only sound clean fruit should be packed. He often fails to appre- 

 ciate the fact that various kinds of vegetable parasites (fungi), 

 spoken of in Lesson 14, are as likely to continue growth on the 

 fruit in ordinary storage as on the fruit before picking. The 

 greatest care should be exercised in barreling tliis fruit, to see that 

 it is free from scab, bitter rot, fly-speck fungus or any other vege- 

 table parasite. Pickers are often surprised on opening the barrels in 

 midwinter to find that there is considerable waste in fruit which 

 appeared moderately fair and clean when packed in the fall. This 



The depot packing house. 



impresses the lesson that at the first packing every blemished speci- 

 men should be rejected. It is economy to do this in the long run. 

 Not only is it w4se to reject specimens affected by scabs and spots 

 but also those infested by insects, because the larvae of codling 

 moths for instance may continue the destruction of barreled fruit 

 where temperature is not very low. 



Eitrly fruits should le ^picked successively. — Pears and apples 

 should not be pulled from the tree. This way of pulling often 



423 



