. The book of garden management : Comprising information on laying out and planting Gardening -- Great Britain. ON GATHERING AND STORING FRUIT. 483 gathered a little before they are absolutely ripe : thus gathered, they are better in quality and higher flavoured than when absolutely ripe. But this must not be carried too far. A single day before they are perfectly ripe suffices for peaches and other delicate stone fruit; a week for apples and pears ; and cherries are only gathered when completely ripe. Apples and pears, which arri-ve at complete maturity in winter, are best gathered
. The book of garden management : Comprising information on laying out and planting Gardening -- Great Britain. ON GATHERING AND STORING FRUIT. 483 gathered a little before they are absolutely ripe : thus gathered, they are better in quality and higher flavoured than when absolutely ripe. But this must not be carried too far. A single day before they are perfectly ripe suffices for peaches and other delicate stone fruit; a week for apples and pears ; and cherries are only gathered when completely ripe. Apples and pears, which arri-ve at complete maturity in winter, are best gathered at the moment when the leaves begin to fall, and the sap to withdraw from the branches in October. All gathering should take place in dry weathei', and the fruit should not be handled or pulled about more than is absolutely necessary. The middle and afternoon of the day will usually be found the best time for gathering, as autumn mornings, even in the finest weather, are always more or less humid ; and to avoid any risk in keeping, all fruit should be quite dry before it is taken from the tree. The most convenient baskets for fi-uit- gathering are peck and half-bushel baskets, with cross-handles. These should be provided with a line and a hook, by means of which they may be hung to the branches of the tree, and thus allow the gatherer the liberty of using both his hands : by the line, the baskets, when full of fruit, can be lowered to be emptied, and drawn up again. Several little contrivances have at dif- ferent times been introduced to the public, in order to assist the fruit- gatherer ; but these, as far as they have come under our own observation, are more remarkable for their neatness and ingenuity than for their general use- fulness. Undoubtedl}', the human hand is the best and safest of all fruit- gatherers ; but Avhen bunches of fruit grow at the extremities of slender branches quite out of reach, as is not unfrequently the case, some additional assistance appears requ
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbeetonsamue, bookpublisherlondonsobeeton, bookyear1862
