382, The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
expected to be very much better than it is in the 
general run of samples. 
A peach is fit to pick when it is full grown 
and has begun to develop its characteristic color. 
Peaches and apricots do not ordinarily color up 
well after they are picked, although plums usually 
will do so, especially the Japanese plums, which may 
be picked very green and yet develop a high color. 
It is very difficult to describe that period of ma- 
turity at which a peach is ready for picking. An 
experienced picker will take the fruit softly in his 
hand and press the ball of his thumb very lightly 
upon the side, and if the fruit has a somewhat 
springy feeling, it is ready to take off the tree. 
This pressure is never sufficient to leave any mark 
upon the fruit. Pinching a peach will almost always 
spoil it. If the peach is too green, it will feel 
hard and stone-like. If it is too soft, it will simply 
indent, and will not have the elastic feeling which 
is mentioned. 
In the ease of cherries and plums, it is very 
important that the fruits be picked just before 
they have reached their condition of most edible 
quality. This is largely because the fruit-rot fun- 
gus is very likely to destroy the fruits at the time 
of their ripening, especially upon those varieties 
which are particularly subject to the disorder. 
Amongst plums, the Lombard is one of the most 
seriously attacked; and amongst cherries, nearly all 
the white-fleshed ones, like Governor Wood and 
Napoleon, are greatly subject to injury. If the 
