342 HOW TO GROW GOOD ORCHARDS. 



in the orchard, exposed to alternations of frost, and 

 wet, and dry. 



Such fruit will often require to be kept for some 

 time waiting temperate weather, which is best for 

 cider-making. It should be kept then under cover, 

 and in such a manner that the air can get beneath 

 it ; and for this purpose we have found a few wattled 

 hurdles well adapted for keeping fruit on that is 

 waiting to be ground. 



In gathering cider-fruit we should consider it ripe 

 at that period when a not rude shake of a limb 

 would cause most of it to fall pretty well at one and 

 the same time. We dislike beating off fruit with 

 sticks, as it damages the bearing shoots. In fine, 

 in gathering fruit all undue violence should be care- 

 fully avoided, as it is unwise to use that amount of 

 hurry, which will only secure a large present crop, 

 unless it can be done in such a manner as not to 

 injure our hopes of the future. It is a curious 

 circumstance that in the garden there is usually 

 something like a crop, even in a bad season ; but in 

 the orchard we seldom meet with anything like a 

 crop the year following what is called a "hit of 

 fruit," and only the finer sorts of apples which are 

 hand-gathered with care are often found to be most 

 constant bearers, while the rougher cider-fruits seldom 

 afford a good crop oftener than once in from three 

 to five years. Surely, then, much of this must be 

 the result of the rougher treatment to which cider- 

 fruit is so carelessly subjected. 



"When the fruit is collected, it should be put in a 

 dry airy place, to await the process of grinding. For 

 this we adopt the plan of spreading it in sheds or out- 



