308 OF GATHERING APPLES AND PEARS. 



many. A dry season will forward the ripening of 

 fruit, and a wet one retard it ; so that there will 

 sometimes be a month or five weeks difference in 

 the proper time of gathering. The method that I 

 have practised is, to observe when the fruit begins 

 to fall (I do not mean what we call wind-falls, or 

 the falling of such as are infested with the cater- 

 pillar, &c.), but sound fruit ; I then put my hand 

 under it ; and if it comes off without any force 

 being used, I take it for granted that the fruit is 

 perfectly ripe ; unless the tree be sickly, which is 

 easily known by the leaves or fruit being shrivelled. 

 If the foregoing observations are attended to, the 

 fruit will keep well, and be plump ; and not 

 shrivelled, as is the case with all fruit that is ga- 

 thered before it is ripe. 



The person on the steps should pick the fruit 

 carefully, and lay it gently into the basket on the 

 top of the steps j for if it be in the least bruised, 

 it will not keep. For the same reason, great care 

 must be taken in emptying the fruit out of the 

 hand-baskets, when full, into the large baskets or 

 hampers. If more than one large basket be 

 wheeled at once, which may generally be done, 

 the lower ones must not be so full as to let the 

 bottom of the upper one touch the fruit ; it will 

 also be necessary to put some of the soft dry grass 

 between the baskets, and also over the fruit in the 

 upper basket. 



When the fruit begins to fall of itselfj cover 

 the ground under the tree with some of the short 



