MONTHLY CALENDAR 307 



mellow. Keep the dropped fruit cleaned up and fed to 

 the stock or chickens. Pick the pears when the wormy 

 specimens are beginning to mellow but don't pick until 

 fully grown. The largest may be picked first, when the 

 small ones will grow faster and may be picked later. To 

 ripen quickly after picking keep them in the dark at 60 

 to 70. The lower the temperature the longer they will 

 keep. The last of this month and early October is the 

 best time for picking winter fruit; if fully grown and 

 well colored, at the earlier date, or if not well colored, 

 from the first to the middle of October. 



If help is abundant and the weather good apples and 

 pears should be picked and packed in the orchard, but 

 with large crops this is not always possible and a part 

 of the crop should be put into some cool, dry place 

 like a north shed or barn floor (Fig. 98), where they 

 may be packed in stormy weather. The sooner apples 

 are sorted and packed and put into a cool place with 

 even temperature, the better. 



Small Fruits. Little time need be spent in the care 

 of small fruits this month unless one has leisure. The 

 old canes may be cut out from the raspberry and black- 

 berry plantations, grapevines may be pruned as soon as 

 the leaves fall, trellises repaired, etc., but this work can 

 as well be delayed until there is more leisure. 



Poultry. As cold weather comes on more care is 

 needed with the pullets and laying hens. Keep them 

 clean, warm and dry, give a variety of food and fresh 

 water, and allow them to run on dry pleasant days as 

 much as possible. Give them plenty of roost room. 

 One cockerel should be allowed for each twelve to 

 fifteen pullets. 



Bees. Few flowers will be in bloom this month and 

 the bees must depend upon their stores for food. It is 

 best to remove all surplus honey in supers, and if the 



