FRUIT. 



192 



FRUIT. 



the cone or funnel is notched in order to a 

 better means of detaching fruit with tougher 

 stalks, such as pears. This fruit gatherer 

 is useful for gathering mulberries. In the 

 illustrations the handles are shown at right 

 angles to the axis ot the funnels. Such a 

 position is well enough for gathering fruit 

 on ordinary walls, but when the fruit is at 

 some distance above the gatherer, as is the 

 case with pears, apples, and mulberries, 



FIG. 3. 



FUNNEL FOR GATHERING 

 PEACHES, &C. 



FIG. 4. 



FUNNEL FOR GATHER- 

 ING PEARS, &C. 



the pole must either be in the same straight 

 line with the axis, or, in other words, must 

 have the funnel fixed directly on its end, or 

 must be slightly inclined to it. It is better, 

 perhaps, to have the ring that holds the 

 funnel as near the rim as possible, and to 

 attach it by a flange to a cap on the end of 

 the handle, so that it may be brought to 

 any desired angle to the handle and retained 

 in that position. 



Fruit, How and When to 

 Gather. 



Fruit gathering is one of the most cheer- 

 ful and agreeable employments connected 

 with garden management. It usually en- 

 lists every hand in its service, and in an 

 abundant year finds all hands plenty to do. 

 To the following plain and simple directions, 

 those who are entrusted with the superin- 

 tendence of fruit-gathering will do well at 

 all times to attend. 



Maturity of Fruit. It is important, in 

 the first place, to remark that no fruit 

 should be gathered for storing before it has 

 arrived at maturity. By this we are to 

 understand not necessarily its full flavour 

 and ripeness, but the completion of its 



growth or size j and as all fruit, even upon 

 the same tree, does not come to maturity 

 at the same period, it will frequently be 

 found the safest and most economical plan 

 to make the gathering at two or three 

 different times. It is very easy to ascertain 

 when any particular fruit is ready ; for ripe 

 fruit always leaves the tree upon a gentle 

 touch the fruit-stalk parts from the twig on 

 which it grows without any sign of rending 

 or violence. 



Windfalls. In a general way, with both 

 apples and pears, several of the most for- 

 ward fruit will have fallen before the general 

 crop is in a fit state to be gathered ; and 

 this fallen or bruised fruit should never be 

 mixed with that which is intended to be 

 stored ; all unsound fruit which may be 

 found upon the trees at the time of gather- 

 ing should also be rejected. 



When to gather. Fruit, in fact, which 

 ripens in summer and autumn, should be 

 gathered a little before it is absolutely ripe : 

 thus gathered, it is 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 ; but 

 cherries are only gathered when completely 

 ripe. Apples and pears, which arrive 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. 



Weather for Gathering. All gathering 

 should take place in dry weather, 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. 



