158 TREATISE ON THE CULTURE AND 



The person on the steps should pick the fruit carefully, 

 and lay it gently into the basket on the top of the steps ; for if 

 it be in the least bruised it will not keep. For the same rea- 

 son, great care must be taken in emptying the fruit out of the 

 hand-baskets, when full, into the large baskets or hampers. If 

 more than one large basket be wheeled at once, which may ge- 

 nerally be done, the lower ones must not be so full as to let the 

 bottom of the upper one touch the fruit. It will also be neces- 

 sary to put some of the soft dry grass between the baskets, and 

 also over the fruit in the upper basket. 



When the fruit begins to fall of itself, cover the ground 

 under the tree with some of the short grass mowings, or if that 

 cannot be procured, with some pease-haulm, or oat or barley- 

 straw, quite dry, this will preserve the fruit from bruising when 

 k drops ; the fruit which thus falls of itself should be laid up 

 separate from, and used before that which is hand-picked, ac- 

 cording to the season in which they are to be sent to the table. 

 Should any be bruised by falling on one another, they should 

 be thrown aside, as only fit for baking, or to be given to the 

 pigs. 



When all the fruit is gathered in, rake off the short grass, 

 &c, and throw it up to rot, or mix it up with dung, or leaves 

 of trees ; for if it remain on the ground during the winter it will 

 harbour slugs. 



When the bolt of the steps is taken out, and the ladder 

 and back part separated, the ladder will then be fit to use in 

 gathering fruit off wall-trees ; only it will be necessary to screw 

 on the upper part of it two pieces of iron, or nail two pieces 

 of ash or oak, about six or eight inches long, to keep it far 

 enough from the wall to prevent the tree from sustaining any 

 damage in the bark or branches ; which would infallibly bring 

 on the canker. 



When the fruit is carried to the fruit-room, lay some of 

 the dry short grass on the floor in the area of the room ; then 

 take the fruit gently out of the baskets, and lay it in heaps on 

 the top of the grass, keeping each sort in a separate heap ; the 

 heaps may be from two to three feet high, or according to the 

 quantity of fruit that you have. When the heaps are comple- 

 ted, cover the tops at least two inches thick with short grass, 

 in order to sweat them. Let them lie a fortnight, then open 

 the heaps and turn them over, wiping each apple or pear with 

 a dry woollen cloth, which should be frequently dried during 

 the process, observing now to lay in the middle the fruit which 

 before was at the top. Let the heaps now remain eight or ten 

 4ays, covered as before ; by that time they will have thrown 



