286 THE APPLE CULTUEIST. 



satisfactory certainty when is the proper time to gather dif- 

 ferent varieties. 



Assorting Apples. It is a common practice with many 

 persons to mingle numerous varieties together. If such 

 apples are alike in their season, there may be no objection 

 to such management. But fall varieties and winter varie- 

 ties should always be kept separate, so that a hundred bush- 

 els may not have to be overhauled for the purpose of pick- 

 ing out a few bushels which will soon decay and be lost, 

 and hasten the decay of the sound apples, if they are not 

 separated. Fall Pippins, for example, should be gathered 

 before Spitzenbergs and the Baldwins, and should always 

 be stored by themselves. Talman's Sweetings and other 

 sweet apples should have each separate barrels or bins. 

 Windfall should all be gathered before the main crop is 

 plucked, and be stored in some convenient place for imme- 

 diate use. A vast amount of economy may be exercised in 

 the consumption of apples, by keeping .the varieties and 

 those of different qualities and conditions quite separate, 

 when the fruit is gathered. When perishable varieties and 

 windfall are mingled with fair winter fruit, servants, and 

 sometimes the mistress of the family, will always choose the 

 fairer fruit first ; whereas, if the windfall, the bruised, and 

 the perishable were selected, they would have better fruit 

 for pies, dumplings, or for any other culinary purpose. In 

 case one has a larger quantity of windfall and early fruit 

 than can be readily disposed of before it decays, if it is 

 not mingled with the best varieties, it can be fed to do- 

 mestic animals, and thus be saved from immediate decay 

 and loss. 



Injury to Trees when gathering the Fruit. We have 

 alluded to this subject on a preceding page. The greatest 

 care should be taken not to damage the trees when harvest- 

 ing the fruit. The eye of the owner will be useful while 



