Aug.] THE FRUIT GARDEN. 429 



may, for some time, be retarded in their ripening on the trees ; 

 currants, and some thick-skinned gooseberries, may, by cover- 

 ing, be retarded till Christmas. Peaches and nectarines may, 

 by the same means, be kept hanging on the trees for a fort- 

 night after they are ripe. This, to a certain degi'ee, injures 

 their flavor, but it is often found necessary in order to suit the 

 arrangements of the owner. Peaches, and other tender fruits, 

 may be kept for some time, if gathered before they are fully 

 ripe, and placed in boxes in a cold cellar or ice-house ; and 

 fruits even gathered in the morning, if placed in the ice-house, 

 are supposed to be improved in flavor when sent to the table 

 in the afternoon. 



During the season of the finer fruits, the walls should be 

 gone over once at least, if not twice every day, and all ripe 

 fruit gathered carefully by hand, bruising it as little as pos- 

 sible, and carefully laying it in a flat level-bottomed basket, 

 which should be carried by a second person. The bottom of 

 the basket should be covered with some fine dry moss, Hi/p- 

 num or Sp/ia^nmn, and over it a sheet or sheets of clean 

 paper, upon which the fruit should be carefully placed in rows, 

 and steadily carried along until the whole be gathered, or until 

 the bottom of the basket be covered ; but in no case, parti- 

 cularly when gathering peaches or nectarines, put more in one 

 basket than what will cover the bottom. Carry this basket to 

 the fruit-room, and, to prevent an unnecessary handling of 

 tlie fruit, leave them in the basket until wanted for use. With 

 another basket, or baskets, according to the quantity to be 

 gathered, proceed again until the whole be collected. But 

 where there are a number of trees, and the quantity of fruit 

 great, the best only should be thus carefully collected, and 

 another basket should be carried, into which all such as may 

 have fldlen, or be in any way injured, should be placed, and 

 these also should be carried to the fruit-room till wanted for 

 the kitchen, for stewing or other culinary purposes, or other- 

 wise disposed of as may be desired. All other fruits should 

 be collected according to this manner. Such as are much de- 

 stroyed witli wasps and other insects should be left on the 

 ground, or stuck on the trees, as while they last, the insects 

 will not attack the other fruit; they will act as baits for them 



