PICKING. 



109 



called " Prematures " and, although very inferior, sell for 

 a good price, simply because they come in before any other. 

 They are usually bought by keepers of restaurants for pies. 

 We have seen them sent by express five hundred miles, 

 and sold for from five to six dollars a crate, when they 

 then would not have brought fifty cents at home. And 

 afterwards, we have seen in the same market, the choicest 

 ripe and luscious fruit of nearly a pound's weight, go a beg- 

 ging for purchasers at two dollars per crate ! Such is the 

 influence of circumstances. But to the planter, who raises 

 fruit for profit, the " Prematures " are of more value than the 

 mature peaches, and it is important to him to pick them 

 as they ripen, and send them off. He must, therefore, 

 provide for it in time. The quantity is so small, and the 

 coming in so early, that no special peach transportation 

 will have been provided ; he will, therefore, have to send 

 by express or the ordinary freight. Some people suppose 

 " Prematures " unhealthy : but we have used them habitu- 

 ally in our family, for sauce and pies, without the slightest 

 bad effect ; and as they come in advance of the mature 

 fruit, we relish them very much. We never use them 

 uncooked ; and this leads us to say a word on unripe fruit. 

 Some persons are so nervously anxious to get in early 

 fruit before their neighbors, or so avaricious and indiffer- 

 ent to the rights of others, that they will pick their fruit 

 before it matures. This is an evil that must be corrected ; 

 no just person will do it, because he knows it is wrong ; 

 he knows it is not fit to use, and that he would not use it 

 himself. To sell it to others, is, therefore, a violation of 

 the golden rule. But as some persons do not govern 

 themselves by the principles of honor and religion, but 

 only by those of pure selfishness, it is necessary for the 

 community to protect itself against such. We therefore, 

 advise every purchaser to reject all immature fruit. Buy 

 it at no price. Let no commission man offer it ; and those 

 avaricious sharks will soon find it unprofitable to ship 



