140 FRUIT GARDEN COMPANION. 



nails, and care taken not to squeeze the fruit in the 

 operation : when picked, put it in small boxes or 

 baskets, with leaves at the bottom to keep it from 

 bruising, and in this manner let it be kept until it be 

 removed into proper dishes designed for the table. 



Plums, apples, pears, indeed all kinds of fruit, are 

 greatly injured by being deprived of their strigs in 

 picking. They are not only deformed, but seldom 

 keep any length of time. Any common observer 

 will at once discover that the strig of fruit is intend- 

 ed by nature as its handle, and therefore should not 

 be extracted from it. 



In closing these remarks, I beg leave to caution 

 those unacquainted with the management of fruit of 

 the great importance of handling it, when gathered, 

 in a careful manner ; for certain it is, that in many 

 cases quantities of fruit, intended to be kept for a 

 length of time, are rotted and decayed, owing to 

 its being bruised when picked and put away. It is 

 almost impossible to be too careful in the manage- 

 ment of fruit intended to be stored for the winter. 



In picking fruit for preserving through winter, care 

 should be taken that it is ripe before gathering, 

 which may be ascertained by examining the kernel 

 or seed, which, if black and ripe, the pulp or fruit 

 will be ripe also. Having ascertained that the fruit 

 is ripe, the next thing is the picking or gathering of 

 it into winter quarters ; this should be carefully done, 

 and, let me here remind the reader that the handling 

 or taking the fruit from the tree is an operation 

 which requires considerable knowledge ; and, let no 

 one who does not understand the nature of this 

 thing practically, despise the following hint on the 

 subject. In picking fruit from the tree it should 



