FRUIT-TREES. 285 



to be much handled, for it takes off the 

 blue which is their beauty. 



Peaches and nedarines are much the 

 beft when they are ripe enough to fall from 

 the healthy branches of their own accord, 

 and never ought to be gathered too early. 



If apricots in growing don't touch each 

 other, they feldom drop off the tree before 

 they are too ripe for moil palates, nay 

 fome times their upper end will become 

 rotten before they naturally quit the ftalk; 

 they are generally deemed in the greateft 

 perfeftion when the part next the fun be- 

 comes a little foft, or the end begins to 

 open. It is an old and very good cuftom 

 to gather a fig when there is a drop of 

 water hangs at its end, for that is a certain 

 fign of its being ripe -, but there are fome 

 forts that are fubje6l to burft, and never 

 has a drop but when the fmall end quite 

 to the ftalk is become nearly of the fame 

 colour as the large end, then it is certainly 

 ripe. 



Grapes feldom rot upon the vines by 

 being too ripe, and thofe appearing the 

 moft tranfparent are always the ripeft ; but 

 all berries on the fame bunch are feldom 



ripe 



