14 Lessons in Fruit Growing. 



the fruit are usually most satisfactory. A returnable pack- 

 age must be made comparatively heavy and costly to pro- 

 vide sufficient strength; it soon becomes soiled from use, 

 and often causes trouble by not being promptly returned. 



The grower's name and address should be put upon every 

 package of good fruit, and an attractive trade-mark -will 

 aid in securing a reputation. 



16. When and how should fruit he picked? With a few 

 exceptions, of which the pear is one (77), fruit reaches its 

 highest edible quality when left attached to the plant until 

 fully ripe. The stage of ripeness at which it should be picked, 

 however, depends upon the market. Fruit supplied direct 

 to the consumer should be picked and delivered when in best 

 condition for the use intended. If for dessert, it should be 

 picked fully ripe; if for canning it may need to be picked 

 a little hard. The purchaser should generally be consulted 

 on these points. 



Fruit that must be shipped to market should be picked 

 sufficiently hard, and be so packed as to endure the jour- 

 ney without damage from bruising. Allowance should be 

 made for the time required in, and the manner of transit, 

 for the season, the weather and the variety. Fruit that is 

 to be but one hour in transit may be picked riper than that 

 which will be five to ten hours on the journey; that which 

 is to be carried by water may usually be picked somewhat 

 riper than that which is to go by rail for a similar time. 

 Tender-fleshed varieties should be picked less mature than 

 firm-fleshed ones. 



Abrasions of the skin and bruises, however small, detract 

 from the market value and keeping quality of fruits, and 

 hence should be carefully avoided. The bloom of fruits 

 possessing bloom should be preserved intact. Fruit should 



