Thinning, Gathering, Keeping, and Marketing, in 



size ; but most pears are greatly improved in quality, and all in fine 

 appearance, when grown to a full size. 



ASSORTING AND PACKING FOR MARKET. 



Assorting, or separating the large from the small, the smooth from 

 the defective, and the hard from the partly ripened, is a practice of 

 great importance, though often neglected. Skilful marketers have 

 learned that apples or pears of two sizes will both bring higher 

 prices when separated, than when left mixed together. Indeed, a 

 few small apples in a barrel have sometimes prevented the sale of 

 the whole. This holds true of all kinds of fruit. For the same 

 reason the most successful strawberry growers are careful to assort 

 the whole crop before placing the fruit in the boxes. 



For long keeping, apples and pears should be carefully assorted 

 according to the degree of maturity which they show. Ripe ones 

 soonest decay, and if mixed with hard ones soon spoil the whole. 

 If separated, the frequent picking over is avoided. 



Where apples are sold by the quantity, barrels are always best for 

 packing, as well for cheapness and strength as for the ease with 

 which they may be moved without jolting. Apples will keep best if 

 exposed in heaps two or three weeks to open air before barrelling 

 as some of the exterior moisture escapes, and they become less 

 liable to decay. The few minutes' additional time required to deposit 

 them carefully and without dropping into the barrels, will be many 

 times repaid by the fine condition in which the consumer finds them. 

 There should always be at least two barrels placed side by side when 

 filling ; one should be marked " extra," and as the assorting pro- 

 ceeds should receive none but the finest specimens ; the other only 

 such as are decidedly good ; all the rest, including those that are 

 bruised, scabby, or marked with insects, should be rejected for dis- 

 tant market, and used only for home purposes, such as stewing, con- 

 verting into cider, or feeding to domestic animals. In well managed 

 orchards, where pruning or thinning the branches, thinning the 

 fruit, and proper cultivation have been attended to, this third or 

 inferior portion will constitute but a very small part ; in other 

 orchards, grown up with suckers, weeds, and grass, and with tops 

 consisting of brush and stunted branches, the labor of selection will 

 be small, for the whole crop will be of this third portion. 



Apples should be so snugly placed in the barrels that there can be 

 no rattling when they are moved. They should therefore be slightly 

 shaken several times while filling, A little practice will enable any 



