136 FRUIT FARMING 



CHAPTER XXI. 



STORING AND GATHERING. 



This part of the fruit-grower's business is quite the 

 most important operation in his yearly round, and 

 yet it is one that is oftentimes, one may say generally, 

 done in a slipshod way. Good fruit that has been 

 allowed to hang on the trees and become well coloured 

 and ripened will not stand being gathered in sack- 

 pockets as usual to be afterwards ruthlessly shot 

 out into a heap. 



Forwarding Apples. It is a good plan to gather a 

 portion of one's growth of King Pippins, to heap 

 them fairly thick to induce rapid colouring, and thus 

 get them fit to market before the general run of 

 "Kings" are ready. There is always a good opening 

 for coloury examples of this Apple in October. An 

 open lodge, or any temporary protection in the orchard 

 serves as well for this purpose as a good building, as 

 the fruit must all be sold before there is any risk of 

 harm from frosts. It is not necessary to take such 

 elaborate care of King Pippins gathered in this way 

 for a rapid colouring as should be meted out to 

 Wellingtons and Blenheims. They take less harm 

 from the gathering sack process, and can be laid in 

 a heap straight from the trees without being examined 

 for maggoty and diseased specimens. Apples should 

 be heaped thickly, say three or four feet in the centre, 

 have no covering on the top in order to allow the 

 heat *' sweat" room to evaporate, have good roof 



