5ECT. XVII. 



OF FRU ITS. 



£67 



Gather pears of the furrimer forts rather before thay 

 are ripe, as when thoroughly fo they eat meaily, and 

 will not keep well above a day or two ; even when 

 gathered as they ought to be, in a week, or lefs, they 

 will go at the core : They mould not, however, be 

 gathered, while they require much force to pull them 

 off. Autumn pears mud alfo not be full ripe at the 

 time of gathering, though they will keep longer than 

 thofe of the fummer. Winter pears, on the contrary, 

 fhould hang as long on the trees as they may, fo as to 

 efcape froft> which would make them flat in flavour, 

 and not keep well. Generally they may hang to the 

 middle of Oclober on full flandards , a week longer on 

 dwarfs, and to the end of the month on wa\U\ but yet 

 not after they are ripe. 



The art of gathering, is to give them a ///?, fo as 

 to prefs away the ftalk, and if ripe they readily part 

 from the tree. Thofe that will not come off eafy, 

 fhould hang a little longer ; for when they come hardily 

 off, they will not be fo fit to flore, and the violence 

 done at the footftalk may injure the bud there formed 

 for the next year's fruit. 



Let the pears be quite dry when pulled, and in hand- 

 ling avoid pinching the fruit, or in any way (in the 

 kali) bruiting it, as thofe which are hurt not only 

 decay themfclves, but prefently fpread infection to 

 thofe near them : When fufpecled to be bruifed, let 

 them be carefully kept from others, and ufed fifft. 

 Gather in (hallow bafkets, and lay them in gently. 



Houfe pears in a djy airy room, at firft thinly for a 

 few days, and then put them in heaps to fweat ; in 

 order to which, a blanket thrown over them will help. 

 The fermentation muft be watched, and when it feems 

 to have paffed the height of fweating, wipe the fruit 

 quite dry with fine flannel, or clean foft linen, and 

 fare them. 



The faring is thus; Thofe to be ufed firft, lay Tby 

 fingly on fhelves, or on the floor, in a dry fouthem 



N - room^ 



