Miscellaneous. 191 



than what to send. The wind itself is scarcely more fluctuating than 

 market prices. You see in today's paper that there is a shortage of fruit 

 in a certain market, you send heavily there expecting to find a good 

 market, everybody else does the same and tomorrow sees a glut in that 

 market with slaughter prices. Such a glut occurred in New York 

 market this summer with vegetables, and the stuff could scarcely be given 

 away by the commission men. The only safe way to watch the market 

 is to have one's finger on the wire. Can the average grower afford to 

 have it there? I'll speak of this later, 



TIME FOR PICKING FRUIT. 



Many growers do not know the time to pick fruit; that is the stage 

 of maturity that puts it on the market in good condition. I saw fine, 

 large peaches in Xew York market this summer that were rotting when 

 the packages were opened because picked too ripe. The first early or 

 summer apples may be picked when they get big enough for cooking. 

 This will be while the seeds are still white and before the apples are 

 colored. The market is always looking forward to the earliest apples. 

 Dessert and winter apples should not be picked till well colored. Those 

 that stay on the tree late are better flavored than those picked early. 

 Winter apples will usually keep better if allowed to harden up in the cool 

 weather of the fall, though by this waiting there is danger of heavy wind- 

 falls. Apples should not be separated from the twig by a straight pull, but 

 by a twist sideways. The ease with which some fruits separate from the 

 twig by a nip sideways gives a good idea of maturity. With summer 

 apples two or three pickings are generally made. Pears should always be 

 picked from the tree before mellow and allowed to ripen up after storing. 

 The time at which the first full-size fruits begin to fall is the indication 

 of proper picking time. Peaches are picked for market when they show 

 the clear or bright colors. They should not be pinched to test maturity. 

 The experienced picker has a way of rolling the flat of his hand over the 

 ridge of a peach and the feel means the same to him as grain in the sack 

 does to the miller's thumb. Plums can be picked greener than any other 

 fruit. Size is about all one needs look for, as the fruits seem to ripen as 

 well off the tree as on it. Grapes, on the other hand, should never be 

 picked from the vine till fully ripe and sweet, for they will not develop 

 sugar and ripen after they are picked from the vine. I have known 

 unprincipled growers to spoil the market for white grapes by shipping 

 Niagaras before they had become ripe and sweet. Tasting is the sure 

 test with grapes. Cherries are picked, with the stems on, as soon as they 

 are big enough, and they always have the color with the size. A day, 



