438 GATHERING FRUITS, ETC. 



night before their maturity. Sweet varieties, and such as 

 are inclined to become mealy, are entirely worthless when 

 ripened on the tree, and many very excellent varieties 

 are condemned on this account. Such as these should be 

 gathered the moment the skin begins to change color in 

 the least degree. 



Summer Apples, too, and especially those inclined to 

 mealiness, should be picked early ; as soon as the skin 

 begins to change color, otherwise they part with their 

 juices, and become worthless. Ripeness is indicated by 

 the seeds turning dark-colored, and by the stem parting 

 readily from the tree when it is lifted upwards. 



Winter Apples and Pears should be allowed to remain 

 on the trees as long as vegetation is active, or until frosts 

 are apprehended. 



Grapes, Berries, etc., are allowed to attain perfect 

 maturity before being gathered. 



Chestnuts, Filberts, etc., are not gathered until they be- 

 gin to fall from the tree. 



Mode of Gathering. Unless it be a few specimens 

 wanted for immediate use, which may be taken with some 

 of the contrivances mentioned under the head of imple- 

 ments, all fruits should be gathered by the hand. The 

 branch to be gathered from should be taken in one hand, 

 and the fruits carefully taken off, one by one, with the other, 

 witlutheir stems attached. (For fruits neither keep so well, 

 nor look so well, without the stems.) They are then laid 

 carefully in single layers in broad, shallow baskets, the bot- 

 toms of which should be covered with paper or moss, to 

 prevent bruises. Peaches and other soft fruits should be 

 pressed as lightly as possible, for anything like a squeeze 

 is certainly followed by decay in the form of a brown 

 spot, and this is the reason why it is so exceedingly diffi- 

 cult to find a perfectly sound and at the same time ripe 

 peach in our markets. 



