334 THE FLORIST AND 



worked as near as possible to the tree, in order to have less to dig. These 

 wounds and cankers continually recurring, if they do not directly kill the 

 trees, soon stop their growth, diminish the produce, and shorten their ex- 

 istence. 



Gathering the Fruit. — This is also a frequent cause of injury to the 

 trees. Instead of waiting till the Apples are sufficiently ripe to detach 

 themselves by the branches being shaken, either by a person up in the tree, 

 or by one on the ground with a hooked stick, they are often gathered too 

 goon, and as they do not readily part, the' branches are struck with poles. 

 By thus bringing down the fruit, many fruit-apurs and leaf-buds which would 

 possibly become flower-buds, are likewise broken off. 



Modes of keeping the Fruit.— I? the quality of the cider depends on the 

 fitness of the instruments and vessels used, on the temperature, or the 

 manner of crushing and pressing the Apples, as well as on the fermentation 

 of the juice, it also greatly depends on the mode adopted in preserving the 

 fruit, on its state of ripeness, and on the mixture of particular varieties in 

 certain proportions. If the growers only knew how much rain deteriorates 

 Apples that are laid in heaps out of doors for want of sufficient buildings to 

 protect them, they would construct very cheap sheds by means of straw 

 mats, formed and supported with rods, m order to preserve the fruit from 

 this drenching, which, being repeated, doubtless takes away part of the juice, 

 especially when they are ripe or nearly so. If this fact were not acknowl- 

 edged, I would say to the unbelieving, "put a sound and nearly ripe Apple 

 in a glass of pure water, and leave it there for seven 'or eight days ; after 

 that time you will find that the water is of a reddish tint, and the Apple al- 

 most without flavour. Now, how can this be explained, if not by the fact, 

 that a part of the juice of the Apple has passed through the pores of the 

 skin, and diffused itself in the water ; whilst the latter has taken the place 

 of the juice and penetrated into the flesh of the fruit. Apples, therefore, 

 should be gathered in dry weather and afterwares sheltered from rain. The 

 custom of mixing together different kinds of Apples is also injurious, for the 

 following reasons. The different sorts, although gathered at the same time, 

 do not afterwards acquire, in equal periods, the same degree of maturity, 

 and some keep longer than others after being fully ripe. The consequence 

 is, that whilst waiting for the ripening of the later sort3, the others rot, and 

 no one, I should suppose, will venture to say that the pulp of rotten Apples 

 can give a juice fit for making good cider. Occasionally, to avoid this evil, 

 the Apples are crushed too soon, and those that are not ripe only yield a 

 colourless juice, which which is very liable to become acid. It is, therefore 

 advantageous to separate the sorts, because each heap being composed of 

 equally ripe fruit, we are not exposed to the danger of crushing green or 

 decayed Apples with those of which the colour and perfume indicate a per- 







