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CHAPTER XIX. 



Gathering stone fruit. 



However trifling the introduction of this 

 subject may appear, there is sufficient im- 

 portance in it, to warrant some observa- 

 tions ; because it is the practice of many 

 persons, to let fruit remain upon the tree as 

 long as it will, even to allow it to drop off, 

 from the idea that the fruit is then in its 

 highest degree of flavour; but this is an 

 erroneous conclusion, for the fact is, that for 

 two or three days previous to dropping off 

 the tree, it is declining in flavour, and in 

 that case it will become more and more 

 tasteless, the longer it is kept before eaten. 



The best time at which to gather the fruit, 

 is about three days before it would have fallen 

 from the tree, as it is then in its highest 

 state of perfection. Besides when they are 

 allowed to drop from the tree, although there 

 may be straw or moss for them to fall upon, 

 or nets to catch them in, they are generally 

 bruised, and always are worse for it. And 

 the longer such are kept, the worse they be- 

 come. 



The principal difficulty appears in know- 

 ing the time when the fruit is in a proper 



