Picking and ripening Fruit. 323 



picked days before it is ripe, and hurried off to the Eastern markets, where 

 the people are glad to get even this poor, unheaUhful, and sour fruit, be- 

 cause they can get no other that is better. There is a great advantage in 

 raising one's own fruit, — certainly all the early fruits. The whole crop 

 of the tree does not ripen at the same time ; so that, while some is fully 

 ripe, other is still green. This is quite unavoidable, and is unfavorable for 

 commercial purposes ; but is not objectionable where one has but few 

 trees in the garden. 



In regard to grapes, there is little fear that they will become too ripe at 

 the North certainly, though they might at the West and South. An un- 

 ripe grape is a very unwholesome thing ; but a fully-ripe grape is a fruit fit 

 for any mortal. The riper, the sweeter and richer the juice, though there 

 is less of it. The watery part seems to evaporate, leaving the rich juices 

 in a more concentrated form. If used for wine, it is quite desirable that 

 the fruit should be perfectly ripe ; for good quality is one of the first essen- 

 tials of good wine. Better five hundred gallons of good wine than three 

 times five hundred of poor, thin, watery stuff. Grapes for market-purposes 

 may be gathered as soon as they have become sweet and palatable, and 

 the work continued from day to day until the crop is disposed of For 

 late keeping, we should prefer wr//-ripened fruit. More fruit is yearly con- 

 sumed in an unripe state than is left until over-ripe. 



Early apples will ripen if picked off some days even before they are 

 fully grown ; though we know of no variety that is not much improved when 

 allowed to mature on the tree. We know that this is often inconvenient and 

 unprofitable : for, if so treated, they drop a few at a time ; which will do very 

 well for home-use, but is not profitable for market-purposes. Some of the 

 best cultivators about Boston plant largely of the Williams Apple, — a very 

 handsome early variety. Mulch the ground under the tree with hay, and 

 let the apples drop ; and, where there are several trees, a bushel-box or more 

 can be gathered each day, and the fruit sent directly to market. If early 

 apples are plucked from the tree before they have fully colored and matured, 

 they will, it is true, become mellow and eatable if properly treated by being 

 shut up from the air, or even if exposed for a while ; but they never will 

 have as good a flavor as those which fully mature and drop from the tree. 

 The fall apples are very much like the summer, though they do not suffer 



