212 State Horticultural Society. 



colored ; perfectly firm or hard, not beginning to soften ; showing its 

 ripening characteristics partly spread over its surface or fully so, de- 

 pending on the kind of fruit, whether it be a strawberry, blackberry or 

 grape, or if it be a plum, pear, peach or apple, telling us plainly it is 

 ripe by its parting easily from the branch, as in the case of the pear, 

 peach, apple or from its receptacle as in the case of the raspberry or 

 blackberry. In fact, all these items are important and should be care- 

 fully heeded when we are gatliering for the honor of the State, and it 

 includes every kind that we grow from the strawberr}^ to the apple. 



The condition of the fruit is the next point of consideration and is 

 very closely allied to the ripeness. Close examination and experience will 

 help us to solve this, as it does all other problems. Nature provides a 

 correct and suitable covering outside of our fruits, and the nearer we 

 can keep this without injury the better it is for the preservation of the 

 fruit in its perfection, whether it be the little fine hairy covering on our 

 berries, or the bloom on cherries, plums or grapes, or the fuzz on the 

 peaches, or the greasy covering under the bloom of our apples. As 

 nature provides this covering, we may be sure it should not be removed 

 if we want the fruit to keep, hence an apple should not be rubbed unless 

 it is dirty. The condition, therefore, must be sound; no specks, spots, 

 bruises, blotches, worms or worm holes ; not rubbed, no scab or bitter 

 rot, no rust or mildew, no broken seed cell to our berries to let the juice 

 out, no broken skin to the grapes or cherries ; always leaving the stem 

 on all fruits where the stem is a part of the fruit or where the stem can 

 not be removed without breaking the skin of the fruit ; keeping the calyx 

 or blossom end on all fruits where it is part of the fruit, whether it be 

 on the apple at one end or the strawberry at the other. The condition 

 should be as near perfect as it is possible to secure it. The perfect fruit 

 from its home to the exhibition table is the end we wish to secure. 



The Size. — Not size at a loss of either of the other requirements, 

 but size, normal, characteristic, fully up to or above the usual, above com- 

 mon, extremely large, extraordinary and yet maintaining its own pecu- 

 liar features, at least so it can be recognized; size even, symmetrical, 

 uniform, well shapen, correctly marked in its coloring and shading or 

 bloom. Any monstrosities are always desirable, but to be shown as 

 such and not with the general collection of the same variety. 



Picking mid Packing Winter Apples for Cold Storage. — The first 

 thing to remember is that the least handling of the apples the better. 

 From the tree to the box or barrel is the ideal way. Of course this 

 cannot always be done, for we often have to do the best we can. But 

 you may be sure that all fruit should be wrapped just as soon as it is 



