CHAPTER XIL 



GATHERING FRUIT. 



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THIS operation should be performed with care, 

 but not until the seeds have changed from a white 

 to a brown color, and then by raising the pear in the 

 hand if it separates easily at the end of the stern. 

 The fruit spurs or buds of the pear, being already 

 developed for the next season, if the operator is not 

 very careful while gathering the fruit, many of these 

 spurs will be broken oif and the crop of the follow- 

 ing year will be thereby lessened. 



The whole of the fruit should not be removed at 

 one picking, for it seldom happens that it is all 

 equally far advanced. There is generally a differ- 

 ence of ten or twelve days in the time of maturing 

 even on the same tree. 



Our method is to go over the orchard three or 

 four different times, taking off only those specimens 

 that are in condition to be placed in the fruit room 

 or closet. With a little practice, the eye, at once, 

 detects the pears that are ripe enough to gather. 



Pears will always sell more readily and bring 



