GATHERING, PACKING, AND DISTRIBUTING. 73 



ures. Other artificial manures may be applied ; but in 

 using these, it is needful to study the natural composition 

 of the soil, and also to note what particular ingredients 

 may be absent or deficient, in order that these only may 

 be supplied. See also Chap. II. 



The effect of this breaking up of the soil and manu- 

 ring round the tree is wonderful. You immediately see 

 vigorous healthy growth of wood, and followed by fruit 

 in most cases double or treble the size of that produced 

 by the neglected trees. Whilst the thinning of the wood 

 and opening of the trees, allowing sun and air to pene- 

 trate, in addition to the application of lime, soot, phos- 

 phate and oxide manures, the ripening and colouring of the 

 fruit will be properly performed ; and instead of having 

 a quantity of small, colourless, immature fruit, you will 

 have a greater bulk of good, sound, highly-coloured pro- 

 duce, properly matured, and such as will command a good 

 price in any market. 



CHAPTER IX 

 GATHERING, PACKING, AND DISTRIBUTING. 



NEXT in importance to growing the fruit is the matter 

 of gathering and disposing of it. In the first place, as to 

 gathering. There has been in times past, as to farm 

 orchards, little science or care displayed in gathering the 

 fruit. The plan adopted might be picturesque, and might 

 answer the purpose where only small fruit was grown for 

 cider-making, but it is not one that can be adopted where 

 good fruit is produced. The old style of scaling the trees 

 with ladders, and shaking down the fruit, would only do 



