i 9 \ T*HE GARDENER** VI 
thered, or before they fpoil or decay; but of the late 
forts, they may either be ufed for that purpofe, both 
as foon as gathered, or will admit of keeping longer 
for that occafion at a future opportunity. 
The maturity of full growth in Pears and Apples, 
after attaining their refpeftive full fizes on the trees, 
according to that of the different varieties, is difco- 
verable fome by changing, more or Iefs, to a fome- 
*vhat yellow^ colour, and in many alfo by their mel¬ 
low, palataole tafte and flavour, efpecially of the 
lummer and autumn kinds, ripening in the end of July 
and in Auguft, or early part of September; others, 
both of thole forts and the later varieties, not chang¬ 
ing colour in any material degree, but either indicate 
tokens of maturity by their mellow or agreeable fla¬ 
vour, afbrefaid, or fome, both of the forwarder and 
late, or winter kinds, or more generally many of the 
latter, not difcovering any particular degree of per¬ 
fection, as above, on the trees, but which, and in Ap¬ 
ples and Pears in general, having attained a peculiar 
plumpnefs in flze, their full growth is apparent by 
their readily quitting the trees on being plucked, or by 
gently turning fome of the fruit upward; and likewile 
often by the fruit frequently dropping from the trees 
naturally: however as many of the late autumn and 
winter Pears, &c. Ihew but fmall indications of matu¬ 
rity, while on the trees, it may be obferved that all 
thefc late Pears and Apples attain full growth for ga¬ 
thering in the end of September to the middle and end 
of Oftober. 
So, according to the above intimations, of mature 
growth in thefe fruit, they fltould be gathered in their 
proper feafons, that as many of the fummer and au¬ 
tumn kinds acquire a mellow eatable Hate on the trees, 
they lhould be gathered accordingly, as wanted, for 
immediate occafions; and the fucceeding and late forts 
acquiring a more durable ftate, for future fupply, 
they, in the proper feafon, may be gathered both fome 
for prefent ufe, and a principal quantity for keeping; 
as none of the forward forts are eligible for that pur¬ 
pofe, efpecially thofe attaining ripanefs before Sep¬ 
tember, which keep good fome but a few days, or a 
week or two; or others of the later autumn Pears, 
See. will keep fome timejlonger; and therefore allot¬ 
ting mod abundantly of the winter Pears and Apples 
for keeping all winter, fp/ing, &c. in the different va¬ 
rieties ; for, as above remarked, the forward forts do 
not keep long after being gathered; but the late kinds 
attaining full growth from the middle and end of Sep¬ 
tember to the end of Oftober, lhould then be finally 
gathered and houfed for keeping, fome three or four, 
to five or fix weeks, and many principal forts to keep 
good feveral months. 
Generally, in proceeding to gather Pears and Ap¬ 
ples for keeping, chufe dry days, and when the trees 
1 GETABLE SYSTEM 
and fruit are alfo quite dry; and likewife obferving 
that, for the fame occafion of good keeping in perfec¬ 
tion, they fhould be moftly or all gathered by hand, 
that they may not be bruifed, as would unavoidably be 
the cafe if fliaken down, as fometimes praftifed in the 
common ftandard fruit, which, by their falling on the 
ground and again(1 one another, being confequently 
much bruifed, foon begin to decay; and therefore all 
the principal fruit, both on ftandard* and elpaliers, &c. 
lhould be carefully hand-gathered in balkers. 
Though fometimes any of the more common forts 
on large ftandard-trees, wanted to gather in Ualte for 
immediate fupplies, and not required for long keep¬ 
ing, may occafionally be lhaken down, or efpecially 
where not convenient to reach or time does not admit 
of hand-gathering in any confiderable quantity for 
any prefent ufe required. 
According as the Pears and Apples, defigned for 
keeping, are gathered, they lhould be houfed in the 
fruitery or fome dry apartment; and the different va¬ 
rieties depofited feparately, in proper divifions, upon 
Ihelves, and the floor, &c. or where previoully con¬ 
venient to lay them together in heaps, to fweat and 
difeharge the watery juices, and then all wiped clean 
and dry, they will keep the better and be of improved 
flavour; that in depofiting them finally in the fruitery, 
it would be eligible, in the principal keeping forts, to 
lay firft fome clean, dry ftraw, and upon which place 
the fruit either thinly, more or lefs, thicker together, 
as room admits, laying them gently, not to bruife one 
another; and if then clofely covered with clean ftraw, 
a foot thick, to exclude the external air, damps and 
froft, they will thereby keep longer found, in good 
perfection; or fome choiceft eating Pears may be 
packed clofe in boxes, jarrs, or hampers, having ftraw 
at bottom, fides, and top; and the whole afterwards 
covered thickly with ftraw, as above; and thus the 
fruit will keep in good condition for winter and fol¬ 
lowing fpring. 
Obferve, during the winter, &c. to examine the 
fruit occafionally, to draw out fuch as decay in due 
time, before they afieft the others adjoining. 
Of the QJJ I N C E. 
(Pyrus Cydonia.) 
The Quince,formerly conftituted a diftinft Genus, 
denominated Cydvnia, but by the modern botanifts is 
now ranged as a fpecies of the Pyrus, as being fimilar 
in the generic characters, confident with the fexual 
botany of Linnaeus, and in which we have placed it 
accordingly, having deferibed the fpecies, and its re- 
fpeftive varieties of the fruit, in the proper place: 
fhall, 
