ORCHARD CROPS 219 



Late in the summer, or in the fall, when the fruit ripens, the 

 apples are carefully picked by hand, sorted into the proper sizes, 

 and packed in boxes or barrels ready for shipment. 



The chief uses of apples are as dessert fruits, for canning and 

 preserving, and for making jelly, pies, puddings, and dumplings. 

 They are also used for making apple butter, cider, vinegar, and 

 brandy. A great many apples are dried, or evaporated, for winter 

 use. 



The Pear. This tree is often found growing wild in various 

 parts of Europe and Asia. The pear was early brought under 

 cultivation, and there are said to have been thirty-two varieties 

 known to the Romans in the time of Pliny; but it was not until 

 the seventeenth century that any greatly improved varieties 

 were grown. Pears were introduced into the United States by the 

 early settlers, and the Endicott pear tree, planted in 1628, by 

 Governor Endicott, is still living. 



The pear tree is a more hardy tree than the apple tree, and 

 it is capable of enduring greater extremes of heat; and hence it 

 grows not only where the apple tree is found, in the Northern States, 

 but also in the Southern States, where the climate is generally 

 too warm for the apple to flourish. 



Unlike most fruits, pears have a better flavor if picked while 

 green and ripened indoors. The chief commercial uses of pears 

 are for canning, for making preserves, and for the manufacture 

 of pear cider. In commercial importance it ranks fourth among 

 our orchard crops. 



The Peach. The peach tree is a native of China, where it has 

 been cultivated from very early times. From China, the peach 

 tree was introduced into Persia, and from there it was carried to 

 Europe, and finally to our own country. Peaches thrive in nearly 

 all parts of the United States except in the New England States. 

 We have about three hundred varieties of peaches, and ripe fruit 

 is on the market from May until late in the fall. In the New 

 England States peaches may be grown under certain conditions. 

 Experience has shown that the hilltops in these regions are the 

 best adapted to the peach tree, and the reason is not hard to 

 find. Frequently, when the temperature in the valleys and on the 

 levels is 15 to 25 below zero, it will be only 8 to 10 below zero 



