THE APPLE. 



69 



the fruiting stage is reached the exhaustion is 

 greater, and the cultivator must then watch 

 closely the behaviour of the tree, and if there 

 are indications that the strain is too great, 

 prompt resort to suitable manures will often 

 restore them to their right condition. In the 

 same way, if the trees be weakly in their early 

 stages, the application of manure will bring 

 them into a better state, provided they are not 

 diseased and there is no serious defect in the 

 soil. 



Gathering and Storing the Crop. — The period 

 for gathering any particular sort of Apple can- 

 not be precisely stated, for it varies in different 



Fig. 



Orr's storing trays for Apples, 



localities according to the soil and climate, and 

 even in the same locality in different seasons. 

 In light dry soils the fruit will not hang so long 

 as in those that are of a stronger nature. The 

 falling of unsound fruit is no criterion; but 

 when that which is sound begins to fall, the 

 crop may be gathered. Or, the fruit may be 

 tried without pulling, and if the stalk then 

 parts easily from its connection with the spur, 

 it is fit to gather- but if it hold firmly at that 

 place, so that in order to separate the fruit it 

 must be twisted and broken, the fruit has not 

 attained full maturity. When ripe, the seeds 

 are of a brownish or nearly black colour. Some 

 early sorts of Apples ripen in succession, and 

 should be gathered accordingly; such, indeed, 

 require particular attention in respect to gather- 

 ing; for if taken a few days too soon they are 

 watery, if a few days too late they are mealy. 



Dry weather is to be preferred; but if the sea- 

 son is wet, the fruit must sometimes be gathered 

 when damp, in which case they should be spread 

 thinly in an airy place to dry. 



In gathering, great care should be taken not 

 to bruise the fruit. The gathering-baskets or 

 trays ought to be lined with some soft sub- 

 stance, and too many fruits should not be placed 

 above each other. Indeed, choice sorts, and 

 such as are intended to be kept through the 

 winter and spring, should be laid singly on a 

 light hand-barrow, the bottom of which is of 

 large area and lined with a mat or cloth; over 

 this first layer another mat or cloth should be 

 spread, and then a second 

 layer may be placed in the 

 barrow. The fruit should be 

 taken out by hand and not 

 tumbled out of the baskets. 



The late - keeping sorts 

 should be stored in a place 

 where the exhalations from 

 ripe and nearly ripe fruit can- 

 not reach them. The latter 

 could be kept in baskets lined 

 with some well-dried straw, 

 and placed above each other. 

 If the quantity of Apples fit 

 for use be too large for the 

 space that can be allotted for 

 them in the fruit-room, they 

 may be laid on the floor of a 

 loft or other place where there 

 is a free circulation of air, 

 which, though necessary, 

 cannot however be admitted 

 at all times without occasion- 

 ing vicissitudes of temperature. If the air is 

 cold for several days and nights, the fruit 

 will also become cold; and if the air should 

 get suddenly warm, the fruit will get wet 

 from condensation. In order to protect them 

 from being affected to any considerable extent 

 by sudden changes of temperature, it is advis- 

 able to cover them about 1 inch thick with 

 straw made very dry by exposure to the sun, or 

 by placing it on a kiln. The straw will absorb 

 any moisture that may arise from the fruit, 

 which will ripen of a fair colour and be more 

 plump than if fully exposed to the air. 



The most essential points in keeping Apples 

 are coolness and a steady temperature, with no 

 greater circulation of air than is absolutely 

 necessary to prevent exhalations from accumu- 

 lating, and they should be kept in the dark. 

 When hermetically enclosed, fruit becomes in- 



