ON GATHERING AND STORING FRUIT. 



483 



gathered a little before they are absolutely ripe : thus gathered, they are better 

 in quality and higher flavoured than when absolutely ripe. But this must not 

 be carried too far. A single day before they are perfectly ripe suffices for 

 peaches and other delicate stone fruit ; a week for apples and pears ; and 

 cherries are only gathered when completely ripe. Apples and pears, which 

 arri-ve at complete maturity in winter, are best gathered at the moment when 

 the leaves begin to fall, and the sap to withdraw from the branches in 

 October. All gathering should take place in dry weathei', and the fruit 

 should not be handled or pulled about more than is absolutely necessary. 

 The middle and afternoon of the day will usually be found the best time for 

 gathering, as autumn mornings, even in the finest weather, are always more 

 or less humid ; and to avoid any risk in keeping, all fruit should be quite dry 

 before it is taken from the tree. The most convenient baskets for fi-uit- 

 gathering are peck and half-bushel baskets, with cross-handles. These should 

 be provided with a line and a hook, by means of which they may be hung to 

 the branches of the tree, and thus allow the gatherer the liberty of using 

 both his hands : by the line, the baskets, when full of fruit, can be lowered 

 to be emptied, and drawn up again. Several little contrivances have at dif- 

 ferent times been introduced to the public, in order to assist the fruit- 

 gatherer ; but these, as far as they have come under our own observation, are 

 more remarkable for their neatness and ingenuity than for their general use- 

 fulness. Undoubtedl}', the human hand is the best and safest of all fruit- 

 gatherers ; but Avhen bunches of fruit grow at the extremities of slender 

 branches quite out of reach, as is not unfrequently the case, some additional 

 assistance appears requisite even when steps and light ladders are at hand. 

 The little rack or cradle, represented in the following sketch, is much used 

 ■on the Continent, and might, with advantage, be introduced among 

 ourselves : — 



1485. It is constructed thus : — 1 is an oval piece of board ; 2, a handle of 

 .anj' convenient length, to which the board is firmly fixed ; 3 3, wooden pegs 

 fixed in the oval frame. These pegs 

 are about five or six inches long, 

 and one and half or two inches 

 .ai:)art, — just wide enough, indeed, 

 to allow the fruit-bearing twigs 

 freely to pass through them. The 

 application, of course, is obvious. 

 The teeth act as a comb, and at the 

 same time form a receptacle, by 

 means of which the fruit may be 

 safelj' conveyed to the basket ; for, 

 the rack being drawn over the twigs 

 with the teeth upwards, the fruit is 

 readily gathered into it. Another very simple, useful, and inexpensive fruit- 

 gatherer ma}"" be made as follows : — 



2 I 2 



