GATHERING, PACKING, AND DISTRIBUTING. 75 



are formed during the later stages of development, and 

 which, are essential to the good keeping and good quality 

 of the fruit. 



All soft fruits, such as plums and cherries, must of 

 course be gathered as soon as ready. 



The operation of gathering from the tall standard trees 

 requires more care than is usually bestowed upon it. The 

 fruit may be gathered into a bag slung over the shoulder 

 by a cord from corner to corner, leaving the mouth open, 

 but in using such bag great care is needed not to bruise 

 or damage the fruit, and it is far better to use a small 

 handled basket. Such basket may be slung from the 

 ladder by a simple pot-hook, and the fruit will not be 

 so much in danger of being bruised. Avoid placing a 

 ladder against the tree, but use one with a wide base, 

 with a pole hinged to the top for support. 



PACKING THE FRUIT. 



Apples, pears, and plums are mostly sent to market 

 in baskets known as sieves and half-sieves. The fruit 

 should be at once graded and sorted, each sort being 

 kept distinct. This sorting and grading is an important 

 operation, and is one that is much neglected in this 

 country to the great loss of the grower. It is frequently 

 the case that fruit from farm orchards is gathered and 

 all varieties are mixed together, very little, if any, atten- 

 tion is given to grading, and it is sent to market in this 

 condition, often with early, mid-season, and late varieties, 

 cooking and dessert, large and small, in one mixture. 

 It is not surprising that foreign apples are preferred to 

 English when this is the case. Who can cook such a 

 mixture of fruit as this ? Foreign apples, on the other 

 hand, being cai*efully graded, and only one variety to- 



