MANAGEMENT OF ERUIT TREES, &c. 159 



out the watery crudities which they may have imbibed during 

 a wet season ; then uncover the heaps, and wipe the fruit care- 

 fully one by one, as before, picking out every one that is in- 

 jured, or has the least spot, as unfit for keeping. 



Fruit should be gathered, if possible, in dry weather, and 

 when the dew is exhaled from off the trees ; and remember 

 never to gather in the evening after the dew begins to fall. 



During the time that the fruit is sweating, the windows 

 should be left open, except in wet and foggy weather, to ad- 

 mit the air to carry off the moisture which perspires from the 

 fruit. The perspiration will sometimes be so great, that on 

 putting your hand into the heap, it will come out as wet as if it 

 had been dipped into a pail of water : When in this state, it 

 will be necessary to turn and wipe the fruit. 



In laying up fruit, the common practice has been to lay it 

 on clean wheat straw ; but I find by experience, that when any 

 of the fruit begins to decay, if it be not immediately picked 

 out, the straw, by imbibing the moisture from the decayed 

 fruit, will become tainted, and communicate a disagreeable 

 taste to the sound fruit. 



I would likewise caution those who erect new shelves in 

 their fruit-rooms, to have the timber well seasoned, and to 

 make use of white deal in preference to red, as the latter, es- 

 pecially if not very well seasoned, is apt to give a very disa- 

 greeable risinous taste to the fruit, which quite spoils its fla- 

 vour. I would, therefore, recommend covering the bottoms 

 of the shelves with thin coarse canvas (such as may be pur- 

 chased for about eight or ten pence a yard), on which the fruit 

 should be laid in a single layer, after being wiped perfectly dry ; 

 but by no means lay them a-top of one another. When that 

 is done, cover them with a piece of the same canvas, or thin 

 flannel, or with old newspapers, or whitish brown paper, which 

 will in a great measure exclude the air, prevent the frost from 

 injuring the fruit, and preserve a beautiful smoothness on its 

 skin. The fruit should be turned two or three times during 

 the winter ; as delicate and tender fruit, by lying long without 

 turning, is apt to rot on the underside, even if perfectly sound 

 when laid up. Be particularly careful, however, to pick out 

 all the damaged fruit. 



When the fruit is laid in, put the earliest sorts on the lower 

 shelves, or in the lower drawers, according to the time of com- 

 ing in, beginning with the Nonesuch, Golden Rennet, and 

 Jenneting Apples, and Bergamot and Beurre Pears (for I find 

 by experience, that the Jargonelle keeps best on the tree, as, if 



