282 AMERICAN POMOLOGY. 



With apples and pears, however, the case is quite differ- 

 ent. Some of these, it is true, especially some of the 

 summer varieties, will attain a perfect state of ripeness 

 while yet attached to the tree, and some of them will even 

 remain hanging to the twig, until they reach that condi- 

 tion of over-ripeness in which they lose a portion of their 

 fine juices and become mealy, or incipient decay may set 

 in, so as to make them rotten at the core. Hence, in 

 nearly all varieties, it is found best to pluck the fruit a lit- 

 tle prematurely, and we are guided by the natural indica- 

 tion of the falling of a portion of the crop. By this 

 means we can, in a degree, control the final ripening of 

 our fruits ; and we have the great advantage of being 

 able to ship them in a firm condition to distant markets, 

 so as to arrive at the end of a long journey in prime or- 

 der ; whereas, if thoroughly ripe, they could only be trans- 

 ported a few miles, and then needing the greatest care in 

 their handling. Our summer varieties always require to 

 be near their ultimate ripeness when gathered, for, if 

 plucked too soon, they will wither, and be worthless. 

 Among these, there are some varieties, particularly of the 

 apple, which continue ripening for a long period. In the 

 limited family orchard this quality is a great desideratum 

 in the summer fruits, but it is quite otherwise in the orch- 

 ards, which are planted for profit in the market, because 

 of the increased expense of gathering only a few at a time 

 repeatedly, instead of clearing the tree at once. It is also 

 found to be an advantage in shipping, to have a consider- 

 able quantity of a kind to send off at one time.. 



GATHERING. We now come to the important matter 

 of harvesting our crops of fruits that have been the cause 



