OF GATTIERIXG APPLES AND PEARS. 309 



grass mowings, or if that cannot be procured, with 

 some pease-haulm, or oat or barley straw, quite 

 dry: this will preserve the fruit from bruising 

 w^hen it drops ; the fruit which thus falls of itself 

 should be laid up separate from, and used before, 

 that which is hand-picked, according to the season 

 in which they are fit to be sent to table. Should 

 any be bruised by falling on one another, they 

 should be thrown aside, as only fit for baking, or 

 to be given to the pigs. 



When all the fruit is gathered in, rake off the 

 short grass, &c. and throw it up to rot, or mix it 

 with dung, or leaves of trees ; for, if it remain on 

 the ground during the Winter it will harbour 

 slugs. 



When the bolt of the steps is taken out, and the 

 ladder and back part separated, the ladder will 

 then be fit to use in gathering fruit off wall trees ; 

 only it wall be necessary to screw on the upper part 

 of it two pieces of iron, or nail two pieces of ash 

 or oak, about six or eight inches long, to keep it 

 far enough from the wall to prevent the tree from 

 sustaining any damage in the bark or branches ; 

 which would infallibly bring on the canker. 



W^hen the fruit is carried to the fruit-room, lay 

 some of the dry short grass on the floor, in the area 

 of the room ; then take the fruit gently out of the 

 baskets, and lay it in heaps on the top of the grass, 

 keeping each sort in a separate heap ; the heaps 

 may be from two to three feet high, or according 

 to the quantity of fruit that you have. When the 



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