212 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Gathering. 



The fruits should be gathered before any woody matter 

 forms in the pods, or in the calyxes. This can usually be 

 determined by breaking them open by hand. If any 

 woody fibers have formed, a certain amount of stringiness 

 will be observed. The bolls with stringy fibres running 

 through them have matured too far. 



Crops that are grown under good cultural conditions may 

 be picked without the use of a knife. The bolls will be 

 tender, crisp, and plump, and by taking hold of the boll 

 with the fingers and thumb and giving it a sharp kink 

 just below, the stalk will break. This characteristic 

 may also be used as an index of the ripeness. If the bolls 

 fail to break off readily, they have matured too far. 

 It will be found that they break off more readily in the 

 morning than towards night. 



Shipping roselle. 



For shipping purposes, the bolls should be gathered 

 just as for home use. Care should be taken to keep them 

 free from leaves and other trashy material that may 

 get mixed in. By handling the bolls carefully, they may 

 be dropped as picked into a container, such as an eight to 

 ten-quart pail. For shipping purposes, the six-carrier 

 tomato crate has been used. Before putting the bolls 

 in, paper wraps are placed in the carrier so as to prevent 

 the bolls from coming in contact with it, and also to give 

 a wide enough lap to cover them completely after the 

 carrier has been filled. This protects them from injury 

 by rubbing against the wood in transit, and also from 



