20 SUMMER APPLES IX THE MIDDLE ATLANTIC STATES. 



maturity is reached, it must of necessity be used within a compara- 

 tively few days after it is put on the market. Some varieties, how- 

 ever, intended only for cooking, are shipped as soon as they are 

 large enough for this purpose, without much regard to the degree 

 of maturity which they may have reached. Although such varieties 

 may be held longer than those marketed in a thoroughly ripened 

 condition, they soon begin to deteriorate if held for any consider- 

 able length of time. 



HARVESTING. 



In harvesting early apples careful hand picking is practiced by 

 a majority of the most successful growers. A few firm-fleshed 

 varieties, the fruit of which r/pens irregularly and drops as soon as 

 it is well colored and fully ripe, are sometimes allowed to drop their 

 fruit. If there is danger of the apples being bruised by striking 

 the ground, a heavy mulch of straw is spread beneath the trees. 

 But many of the most particular growers prefer to hand pick even 

 these sorts, though it is rather laborious to do so on account of the 

 ripe fruits being much scattered over the trees. 



Some of the less exacting growers shake the fruit from the trees 

 or beat it off with poles, claiming that the difference in price between 

 the carefully handled fruit and the fruit handled by their method 

 is not enough to justify the extra expense of hand picking. It 

 should be noted, however, in this connection, that careless or rough 

 handling of fruit in harvesting often accompanies indifferent methods 

 of culture. The grade of the fruit grown frequently determines the 

 expense that is justifiable in preparing it for market. 



The period of growth from blossoming to maturity is relatively 

 short, and the changes which occur in the development of the fruit 

 take place with corresponding rapidity. It may be only a very 

 short time, as measured by days, between a date when an apple is 

 too immature to pick and the period when it becomes overripe. 

 Because of this, several pickings of most varieties are usually made, 

 as in picking peaches. The specimens which are small and imma- 

 ture when the first picking is made will commonly develop with 

 increased rapidity ; attaining a degree of perfection not reached by 

 the more advanced specimens. 



GRADING AND PACKING. 



In the marketing of early apples the details of grading and packing 

 require the same painstaking attention that the successful marketing 

 of other quickly perishable fruits demand. Fruit that is bruised 

 should be discarded. Though it may not appear to be defective 

 when it is packed, bruises and other similar blemishes, especially in 



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