THE POMEGRANATE AND THE JUJUBE 381 



by the character of soil and the method of pruning followed. 

 On sandy soils light crops must be expected ; and if suckers are 

 allowed to develop unhindered, or if the mature plant is pruned 

 of its fruit-bearing wood, little fruit can be produced. It is 

 necessary to emphasize the importance of pruning in connection 

 with pomegranate culture. A properly grown tree of mature 

 size may yield 200 to 400 pounds of fruit annually, but one 

 which has been subjected to incorrect pruning, or has a number 

 of primary shoots growing from the base instead of a single 

 trunk with laterals rising from it, will certainly give no such 

 results. 



Regarding the best methods of picking and handling the fruit, 

 Hodgson says : 



" On account of the common habit of splitting, the fruit of most 

 varieties must be picked before fully mature. . . . Some trees will 

 hold their fruit until winter and never show any splits. 



" Fortunately, the pomegranate is one of those fruits which, after 

 reaching a certain degree of maturity, continues to ripen in cold storage, 

 where it will keep in excellent condition for five or six months. Not 

 only does it ripen, but the quality is improved, the flavor becoming 

 richer and more vinous. The rind shrinks and becomes thinner and 

 tougher ; the amount of rag decreases ; and the seed coats appear to 

 become more tender and edible. Several pickings should be made, 

 the first about the first week in October, and two or three others at 

 weekly intervals. 



" Pomegranates are very securely attached to the fruiting wood by 

 thick, strong stems, and should be clipped rather than pulled. . . . 

 After sizing, the fruit is wrapped in tissue paper and packed. The 

 commercial package used is the orange half-box. . . . The sizes run 

 from 24 to 110 per box." 



On this same subject Roeding 1 notes : " On account of its 

 rather thick skin the fruit will withstand quite a lot of abuse. 

 The one point to guard against is to pick the fruits before they 

 are rained on, for \yhen this occurs many of them will split, 

 making them unfit for shipment. After they are gathered, the 

 fruits, if stored in a cool, dry place, will keep for months ; the 

 1 Roeding' s Fruit Growers' Guide. 



