8 



separates the stem from the fruit and injures the appearance and 

 keeping qualities. Apple and pears, wlien ready for picking, may 

 be separated from tlie spurs, to wliich they are attached, by turning 

 the fruit upwards. This knack is quickly mastered by deft-handed 

 pickers. As a rule pears ripen more satisfactorily in the storeliouse 

 than on the tree. Bartletts may be picked before reaching maturity 

 and if stored in a cool darkened room will become more rich and 

 buttery than if left on the tree. Loss of pears from rotting at the 

 core may be obviated in large measure by early picking. Some- 

 times it pays to remove the fruit of certain varieties in two or three 

 successive pickings. This is particularly true of early varieties of 

 apples, pears and peaches. A prominent apple grower in this State 

 makes a specialty of Oldenburg (Duchess) apples. In order to get 

 the most out of the crop the trees are thinned of tlieir largest fruits 

 as soon as salable size is reached. The operation is repeated when 

 another picking is ready. In this way liner fruit is secured and 

 larger returns obtained for tiie entire crop than would be possible if 

 the fruit was all removed at one picking. 



Ilandle soft fruits very carefulltj. — Plums and cherries are 

 picked witli stems on. The picker should grasp tlie stem and take 

 care not to sej^arate it from the fruit as this encourages rot. In 

 picking peaclies the fruit should be seized firndy with ball of thumb 

 and inside (not ends) of lingers and detached by turning it to one 

 side. Strawberries should be without white tips and fully colored 

 wlien picked. The stem is pinched off l)v the linger and thuml). 

 Kaspberries, blackberries and dewberries are of course picked with- 

 out hulls, although when a fancy trade is catered to, red raspberries 

 are sometimes picked with hulls on. In picking currants the entire 

 cluster should be removed. In every case, the picker should use his 

 best endeavor to preserve the natural bloom of the fruit which adds 

 so much to its beauty. 



^1 fruit /wusfi' slunild he so constructed as to preserve an even 

 temperature. — Storage houses are of two types : First, those wliich 

 modify but do not regulate extremes of temperature, and second, 

 those which furnish detinite low temperatures. Houses of the first 

 class are generally within the means of the commercial fruit grower. 



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