io8 Thinning, Gathering, Keeping, and Marketing. 



injuries from inse&s In thinning the fruit these defective speci- 

 mens should, in all cases, be removed. As many bushels of good 

 fruit will be obtained from the trees in autumn, as there would have 

 been of good and bad mixed together, had all been left to grow. 

 The labor of assorting will be lessened, and the fruit bring a higher 

 price in market. An experienced orchardist says that one day's 

 work to fifty barrels of apples will thus take out nearly all the imper- 

 fect fruit ; while the increased labor of hand-picking so many poor 

 specimens, will be as great as taking them off in summer, when less 

 care will be required with them. 



GATHERING. 



Mankind consist of two grand divisions the careless and careful. 

 Each individual may be assigned his place under these two great 

 heads, by observing how he picks or gathers fruit. The careless 

 shake the crop down on the ground, or, if picked by hand, throw 

 the specimens into the basket, rather than carry and deposit them 

 carefully. Such persons wonder why they have such poor luck in 

 keeping fruit it nearly all rots prematurely. 



In strong contrast with this treatment is the excellent manage- 

 ment of R. L. Pell, of Ulster Co., N. Y., who, by the care he has 

 given, has obtained high prices for his apples in foreign market. 

 His men gather them by means of hooked baskets suspended in the 

 tree ; the apples, as gathered, are laid one at a time in the bottom of 

 the basket, and when filled the man comes down and places two at a 

 time in the two-bushel basket. To prevent the possibility of bruis- 

 ing, these are drawn to the fruit-house on a sled by oxen, and two 

 apples only are taken out at a time, till all are carefully deposited on 

 the floor. After being barrelled, they are drawn on a sled to the 

 river, and are carried, not rolled, on board the steamer. When 

 shipped for England, one barrel is hoisted at a time and caught on a 

 man's shoulder at the ship, and carried by two men and deposited 

 in place. When again unloaded the same care is observed, the bar- 

 rels being carried off on a hand-barrow. Throughout the whole 

 process the same care is observed as in carrying a looking-glass. 



Various modes are adopted for hand-picking apples and other 

 fruit. Ladders should always be provided for reaching the different 

 parts of the tree. Step-ladders, five or six feet high, may be used 

 for the lower limbs ; longer ladders, resting against the branches, 

 or supported by legs as shown in the chapter on Implements, are 

 employed for higher portions. The remaining scattered fruit ma} 



