HINTS FOR THE FRUIT GARDEN. 



183 



or when not required during 

 use. The sharp point, D, 

 enables it to be pushed up 

 anioncr the branches, and is 

 useful for the operator to take 

 hold of. B B are cords to 

 actasan additional safeguard 

 against the legs moving; they 

 are, however, scarcely ne- 

 cessary. 



In addition to the above, 

 what is termed the Orchaid- 

 »'s/'s Crook is used by some. 

 The use of this implement is to seize the 

 branch with one hand and draw it to the 

 operator, and then, by putting the sliding 

 piece over another branch, such branch is 

 held in that position by the obliqueness of 

 the line of pressure, which prevents the 

 sliding piece from moving, thus leaving the 

 operator free to use both hands in gather- 

 ing the fruit. The following is a sketch of 

 the implement. 



Fig. 82. 



Some other modes exist for facilitating 

 the gathering of fiuit; but they, for the 

 most part, have fallen into disuse, it being 

 pretty well known that, after all, the chief 

 point is careful handling. An earnest, ac- 

 tive gatherer, with a long ladder, a pair of 

 steps, and a hooked stick, will seldom call 

 for more implements : a little off-hand 

 sharpness, with much activity and care, 

 will generally accomplish all that is needed. 



Baskets. — We must now come to the 

 really practical part of the business — the 

 getting the fruit off the trees, and storing it 

 securely. The mode of gathering must de- 

 pend in some degree on the character of 

 the tree ; thus, for instance, a dwarf-trained 

 espalier needs but a common hand-basket 

 — steps or ladder are scarcely needed. One 

 thing, however, is necessary, provided more 

 than one layer is put in the same basket, 

 and that is cap paper : we place a sheet 

 between each two layers in the case of 

 choice dessert fruit. In ordinary cases we 

 use hay, or, it may be, rhubarb leaves, but 



we dare not recommend them ; they are 

 generally expedients forced on us by the 

 hurry of the moment. To be sure, where 

 there is a very small amount of fruit, and 

 it is unpacked immediately, such will suf- 

 fice ; but if, unfortunately, baskets should 

 stand a day or two through pressure of bu- 

 siness, the hay will impart a musty flavor, 

 and the leaves in decaying corrode the skin 

 of the fruit. 



In gathering from trees eight or ten feet 

 in height a pair of steps becomes necessary ; 

 ordinary steps, such as are used by work- 

 men in-doors, will suffice, or those figured 

 in our present number may be put in re- 

 quisition by tho.-e who wish to have every- 

 thing very complete. It is necessary in 

 this case, where only one person gathers, 

 to have a basket with a pothook, the straight 

 end of which being fastened to the cross 

 handle of the basket by a cord, the hook 

 end may be hung at pleasure on any part 

 of the tree. Thus equipped, an amateur 

 may move his own steps in any direction ; 

 ascend, gather a portion in his pothook bas- 

 ket, descend and place them in a larger 

 basket — using a layer of cap-paper between 

 the strata — ascend again, and so on until 

 the gathering is complete. With regard 

 to huge orchard trees the case differs 

 slightly; here business is transacted on a 

 much larger scale; even the rude wheel- 

 barrow is ofttimes in requisition, or even a 

 tumbril or light cart — but these are cases 

 not often occurring with our readers; suf- 

 fice it to say that much of the business is 

 here transacted by means of very long lad- 

 ders, and long hooked sticks occasionally, 

 with sometimes a loud halloo of "Bill, 

 mind that ladder don't slip! - ' when Bill, to 

 show the amount of his philosophy, will 

 exclaim, in return, "Ne'er mind the lad- 

 der, lad — get the basket emptied, and let 

 me have it ! I can't get on for want of 

 baskets !" 



Well, now we have gathered a lot of 

 apples or pears, as the c.ise may be, and 

 what are we to do with them ? This brings 

 us to the storing part of the question. Be- 

 fore, however, proceeding in that part of 

 the business, we feel bound to advert to 

 the symptoms of ripeness. 



Symptoms of Ripeness. — This is a broad 

 term to deal with, and no standard that 



