300 - State Horticultural Society. 



other fellow will get ahead of him and secure a higher price. All sum- 

 rrjer apples, especially those of white or yellow color, should be handled 

 very carefully, because every bruise will show and detract from their ap ■ 

 pearance and quality, and thus lower the price. I have seen Ben'oni sold 

 for 50 cents per bushel which, if allowed to hang three weeks longer to 

 attain full size, color and flavor, would easily have brought $1.00 pei 

 bushel. This grower had about 12 bushels, for which he received $6.00. 

 Had he gathered them three weeks later, the yield would have increased to 

 15 bushels and sold for $15.00, or one hundred and fifty per cent. more. 

 Early apples must be closely watched, for after they attain their ripeness 

 they rapidly deteriorate in quality. The time to gather them is after 

 the prematurely ripened (wormy) fruit has dropped, when the fruit is 

 full size and the green ground color has turned to a straw or cream color. 

 and when the fruit parts rather easily at the stem from the branch. The 

 stem should invariably be left on the fruit. 



It is best to make tw-o or more gatherings, taking only the largest 

 and best colored fruit at first. This gives the remainder a chance to 

 grow and ripen quicker, as well as to improve in quality. Fall apples, such 

 as Rambo, Bellflower and Grimes Golden, should be gathered as soon 

 as they show signs of ripening, for they soon turn mealy if left too long 

 on the tree or loss is incurred by dropping. With winter apples it is some- 

 what dififerent. Jonathan, Gano, Ben Davis and Rome Beauty should not 

 hang too long, while Huntsman, Winesap, Willowtwig and York Imperial 

 may be gathered later. Of the Huntsman, especially, several gatherings 

 should be made, as they color and mature rather unevenly. The Jeneton 

 can be left to hang until there is danger from frost or cracking, the latter 

 being due to cold and wet weather. They should be closely watched, 

 because a few days of rainy weather and cool days and nights late in 

 fall causes the skin to crack and often much loss results before the grower 

 is aware of it. Small Romanite and Lansingburg can be left to the 

 last, but it is best not to delay gathering too long, because during a late 

 warm fall they will mature on the trees beyond the proper period and a 

 sharp frost detracts from their keeping quality and flavor, although the 

 fruit may not show it at gathering time. 



All fruit sent to distant markets, and especially those intended for 

 cold storage, should be packed in a co'ol building or in the shade of a 

 tree and shipped as quickly as possible ; for fruit ripens more rapidly off ■ 

 than on the trees. Apples for cold storage should be fully colored and 

 ripened or else there will be loss from "scalding" in storage. For home 

 cellaring, however, I prefer to gather Ben Davis and Gano as soon as 

 fairly colored, say from the middle to end of September. I know from 

 experience that they will then remain juicy a long time, and not turn 



