158 THE SMALL COUNTRY PLACE 



Summer. Bartlett, Clapp, Giffard, Petite Margaret. 

 Autumn. Seckel, Sheldon, Bosc, Kieffer (for canning 

 only) . 



Winter. Hovey, Lawrence, Anjou. 



Harvesting the Fruit. 



To be of the best quality, pears should be picked as 

 soon as fully grown but while still hard. The right con- 

 dition for picking is indicated by a slight change in color. 

 The mellowing of the wormy specimens on the trees 

 may indicate the time for picking. It is best, how- 

 ever, to pick only the large, fully matured fruit at 

 the first picking, and allow the small specimens to grow 

 a few days; they will often double in size in a very 

 short time and be of much better color and quality. 



Ripening the Fruit. 



Pears are of much better quality picked early than if 

 allowed to ripen on the trees. To obtain the best color 

 and quality, they must be put into a cool, close, dark 

 place while hard. Placing in trays or shallow drawers, 

 one layer deep, and covering with a woollen blanket 

 will bring on a very bright color. Most standard varie- 

 ties bring a much higher price if put into cold storage 

 for a few weeks until the main supply in the market is 

 exhausted. 



Packages for Pears. 



In most Eastern local markets pears are sold in bushel 

 boxes without covers. For shipping to distant mar- 

 kets they are packed in barrels, as apples are shipped. 

 Some growers use a half-barrel cask rather large in 

 diameter, but if a cushion is placed on the bottom and 

 top of the bushel box hard fruit will ship as well in this 

 package as in the barrel. In most places the grower 

 must ship in the package demanded by the dealers. 



