Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1862-10-03

Gathering. o. Fruits


would no, be eSirAvagan,. we think. to say
that the value Of our fruit !. deprecated one
third by improper gathering, handling and
packing EaropCans understand this mat
ter. and from them We may learn many usc-
fal lessons. There The iruit grower packs
his eurrants. pcachcs, berries, aud ether
fruits ia cheap baskets. holding only saa
Gent Tor the Accommodation Of the purchaser
for family u.e. In these baskets the lru,ii. i.
tastcfully arranged. trimmed with leayes,
and j. not di.iurbJd until it rcach,. the
home of the consumer. The advantage of
ihi. system over that c1mmon here % tunt-
lns 10 into large baskets % b. hauled over
by the retailer sgyeral umos before all D,
,5li NAV bc readily imagined. The vast;
amount OF capital now invested in iruli cul'
tarc gves tbs hj,c, great imporianee in a
e5mnercal point Of view. while every one
who consume. irui, is interested ia obtain.
ins irui;sin good condition. The following
observations ty Professor Dgbrisl, oGFnnoe.
from the Revue llorticl!e. contains valuable
suggestions. worthy Of Psrusal.
The preservation of fruits !, aques,ion IN.
tuat,'y connected With The fruit garden.
They should furnish lurns the entire year
the sane quantity Of the be-, possible fruits.
In order TO % tins i; Is true wc mus, plant
an equal number Of yare,i,. r.pcnins their
fruit, duIins each month Of the year. But
this will De insufficient unless We adopt a
mode of preservation which will retarl The
rircnirs Of fruits TO milwinisr, 'rrias. ~
even Ihe following summer. TIC fruit gar
den cannot give the result, expected from Il
five are deprived o; ~ products from FEB.
ruary tll jane. when the sarl,s.; fruits -
GO % rIpen. Tt,s question. then, has
cJriain inrorAnse Dot only iOr thosa abb
deal IA fruit. ani who witAsat proper m9is,
Of k,crius srs ,Ip5.cl 70 great loses ~
the uois u gathering ba' a c,riain inea-
enc, On the Preservation Of fruits, we ~ill
fni ,rca, Of Tia, operation.
pnEu oT EArUEIrr.
Trai,. should b. gathered when they rre-
s-ui ,uGc.eni degree u maturity aud Ia
,isr-r,e; the d,aergu, 'pecie' Of fruits re-
CURE dia r,n, treatment.
Al ths stone fruits. the ehsrric. excepted.
should Be- nssn from the tree three or four
days before their absolute maturity.
The kernel fruits OF summer and autumn
A., gathered sish; to twelve days before ma
iuFliy
Tbe.c fruits possess, then, the necessary
elements 10 accomplish their ma,uri,ion.
which j. nothing more than chemical re.
action inlcpenlea, IN some measure Of vital
action. ln thus SEPARATING them from the
tree they are deprived Of the sap from the
roots, they elaborate more completely tha;
which . contained 10 their ,ssae. the -.
gary principle is then le., affected BY water.
anl eay0r Is therefore acquired. The
time suitable f0r gathering j, when the eide
mex, the sun Commences 10 charge from
green 70 yellow.
The cherries, soo,eberr,e. and ra.PScrries
are only gathered after their rsFtee, ma,u.
ri,y bot they .houllno, be allowed to rls.
this moment. as they Immediately lose .oue
other qualities.
TIE kernel fruits which riP.n only in
winter are gathered when they have accom-.
I,.h-I their i4ll development ani bs!Jre
vegetation has completely c'asci-;hnt i to
say. irom the end Of september to the cod
Of October. accOrIin; TO the variety, the
earltuv.. Of the season. and climate. EIpe
r.snce las Demonstrated that fruits lei, On
the tree. after their growth 20 not keep 80
we'll. they lo-e their sugar and perfume.
because AZ this time the temperature is orii.
narIly TO low iJr thc new Auil' which ar.
rive ia their tissue 70 - sufficiently elabor-
a.ed. II. on the cln,rary, this epoch Be
ANTICIPATED. the fruits wither and 90 not
attain maturity. 1, i equally necessary to
gather the fruits from the sane tree az dil.
fsrcni times frsi, those placed on the lover
part Of tie tree then, eight Or ten days at
t,r. those "a the ulpCr part, OF which the
growth is prolonged By '.e iIlaeuco o. the
san. which remains longer ia thi. part Of
the tree. For the sane reason Ihe fruits Of
standard trees ia tie open ground are gath
cred later than tho.e OF esralier. and ,hOse
o! aged OF laBsgisains trees bel0re those oi
Young and vigorous ones. The precise mo-
nent ,or the gathering VI each fruit Is indi'
Gated BY the facility with which 10 Is de-
tAehsi from tie tree when slightly Iined u
wards.
Various instruments under the name Of
"Fruit Galhsrcrs have been invented to
ds,ach the fruits at the tops Of the tree.
wi,bOu, the aid Of ladders, but their em.
rloymeni !. too SLOW. and the irui, are more
or lee. bruised and DO DOT keep. When the
iruit. ar, gathered they are deposited IN a
basket SIMILAR to that used by the euliiva-
tor. ol Mon,rcuill. IL Is about two feet
long. eighteen inches vide, and foot deep,
with carpet On the bottom. The fruits
ar la,d one by one, and only IN three rows
or tiers, when tpo many are laid on the top
Of each other. the bottom ones are bruised.
Each tier j. separated BY quantity Oileases.
II they are peaches, each one Is enveloped
in a leaf Of the vine. The basket, being .ui
fciently full, is carried on the head into a
spacious and airy place, where the iruii.
are deposited on leaves or dry moss; the