384 The Principles of Fruit-groiring. 
orchard the fruit was picked before it had ripened, 
and all that was fit was taken off as soon as the 
trees dried off after a shower; in the other or- 
chard it was left till nearly ripe, and one-half to 
two-thirds of the crop was lost before the fruit 
could be picked. So rapid is the work of this 
fungus at this period, that the owner of the orchard 
told me that he lost three tons of one variety in 
one night. It might be added that the orchard first 
mentioned was a much stronger one, as it’ was in 
cultivation, while the last had been in sod for years, 
and the general debility and neglect of the trees 
made them good subjects for the attacks of rot or 
any other disease.” * 
How to pick.—In picking the soft fruits, like cher- 
ries and plums, the operator grasps the stem and 
not the fruit itself. In this way he does not remove 
the delicate bloom, and does not injure the fruit 
when pulling it from the spur. In the case of 
grapes, it is likewise very important, especially in 
those which have a heavy bloom, that the picker 
should not grasp the bunch itself, but should take 
the cluster by the stem and snip it off with shears 
(which are made for the purpose). In the case of 
peaches and apricots, this precaution, of course, need 
not be taken, because the stem does not naturally 
adhere to the fruit; but the operator must be very 
careful, when picking these fruits, not to grasp them 
too tightly, otherwise he will bruise them and cause 
*@. H. Powell, Bull. 98, Cornell Exp. Sta. 410. 
