PREPARING PRODUCE FOR SALE 69 



Colour is so great a help in the sale of dessert Apples, 

 that the fruits should always be left as long as possible 

 to acquire this character. Most of the earliest varieties 

 need to be gathered quickly, as they soon deteriorate in 

 quality, becoming " dry," " woolly," or flavourless, if 

 too far advanced. The mid-season and late varieties 

 can be gathered well before they are at their best, if of 

 full size, as they often improve greatly in flavour, and 

 even in colour, if they are stored or packed under the 

 right conditions. The best varieties of Apples, well 

 grown, give good returns for every attention paid to 

 them in the gathering, and other details preparatory 

 for sale. 



Similar general principles apply to fruits grown under 

 glass, such as Grapes, Peaches, Nectarines, Figs, and 

 Melons, as well as to Tomatoes and Cucumbers ; all must 

 be gathered somewhat in advance of their final stage if 

 they have to be conveyed a distance to the selling centre. 

 But they must not be taken before certain essential 

 characters are developed ; thus, with all Grapes, the 

 possession of a dense " bloom" is all-important, and 

 adds materially to the value of the best samples ; large 

 berries are also of substantial value, together with fresh- 

 ness, and as near an approach to ripeness as is consistent 

 with safe carriage. 



In Peaches and Nectarines, size and colour carry 

 money value, but the fruits must on no account be dead 

 ripe, or they will be useless for sale. Figs, too, are very 

 perishable, and must be picked immediately they are 

 full-grown. Melons require careful judgment to get 

 them in the right condition, for they should be well 

 coloured, yet if gathered a few hours too late they may be 

 almost rotten by the time they are cut on the consumer's 

 table. They are better removed from the plants as they 

 reach full size, and marketed in succession, as they do 

 not all mature at the same time. With Tomatoes, colour 



