Description of-an I/iilrument for gathering Fruit. 1G3 



ing fruit either from wall-trees or standard?, hut more particularly 

 the latter. There are few trees of any magnitude, especially ap- 

 ple- and pear-trees, of which all the fruit can be gathered by 

 hand, even with the assistance of a ladder, and in the attempt 

 many of the best bearing sprays are necessarily injured or torn 

 off. The finest fruit also is that which grows at the ends of the 

 highest branches, where it has the full advantage of the sun and 

 air. But fruit in this situation is precisely that which is the most 

 difficultly got at in the ordinary way of gathering, and hence 

 much of the prime produce of a tree is either shaken or beaten 

 to the ground, in consequence of which it receives so many bruises 

 as to be unfit for market, and incapable of being kept. The in- 

 strument which I have the honour of laying before the Society 

 !9 calculated to gather fruit without bruising it, atid without 

 injuring the branches in any degree. I have found it on trial 

 to answer my expectation, and the subjoined certificate from Mr. 

 Phillipps junior confirms the result of my own experience. 



I am, sir, &c. 

 A. Aikin, Esq. Secretary, &fc. Thos. Lake. 



Certljicate. 



Exhibition of Fruit Trees, &c. 

 Portsmouth Road, nearVauxhall, Nov. 19, i818. 

 Sir, — Mr. Lane left one of his fruit-gatherers at my establish- 

 ment the beginning of last autumn, which I have used ever since, 

 finding it very convenient forgathering apples, pears, &C.5 have 

 thowQ it to many persons who have approved of it. 

 I am, sir, &c. 



L, Phillipps junior. 



Reference to ike Engraving of Mr. Lane's Fruit-Gatherer. 

 Plate III. figs. 1,2,3,4,5. 

 a, a pole of white deal, or any other light stiff wood, ten or 

 eleven feet long. 



I, a bent lever, having the long arm turned up into a hook, 

 and the short arm pierced with an eye at the extremity. 



c, an iron wire one-eighth of an inch in diameter, secured in 

 a longitudinal groove in ihe pole, as represented in the section 

 fig. 4, and fastened at one end to the lever b, and at the other 

 end to the lever d, 



d, a bent lever, the long arm of which is terminated by a ring, 

 fig. 3, oyer which a piece of leather is stitched, fig. 1. 



e, a ring fixed to the pole by means of a stem, and placed di- 

 rectly opposite the lever d. 



The ordinary state of the apparatus is that represented by the 

 shaded parts of figs. 1 and 2. When it is to be made use of, the 



L 2 under 



