GATHERING AND PRESERVATION OF FRUIT. 221 



GATHERING 



AND 



PRESERVATION OF FRUIT. 



Gathering of most fruits should be performed before 

 the fruit is quite ripe ; the quality and flavour will be 

 better for it. But it will not do to anticipate their 

 maturity for more than eight days for pears and 

 apples, and one day for peaches, apricots, and plums. 

 Cherries should only be gathered perfectly ripe. 



Pears and apples which are not ripened before 

 winter must be gathered in October, or when the 

 vegetation of the trees ceases. Whatever be the kind 

 of fruit, it should only be gathered when quite dry, 

 and on fine clear days. The fruit has then its finest 

 flavour, and will keep much better. 



The best method of detaching the fruit is to gather 

 it carefully one by one with the hand ; various con- 

 trivances have been devised, more or less ingenious, 

 for gathering those at the top of the trees, but all of 

 them are liable to injure the fruit, and it is better to 

 reach them by a ladder. 



As the fruits are detached, they should be placed in 

 a large shallow basket, lined at the bottom with moss 



