The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-10-24
Gathering AppIes.

The apple is covered with o thin coat
of oil, evidently intended forits protec-
ton. In gathering, therefore, as much
care as possible should be taken not to
disturb this covering; and the fruit
should be handled only once, and at the
time it is picked. :. 1t should be picked
with 2 dry hanfS sp ifswsats, lcoseted
with gloves taking only the sound
fruit which it is intended to keep, the
rest being put in another basket, OIL
dropped. The picking, of course, is to
be done when the fruit 10 dry, When
thus carefully collected, 10 should be as
carefully put into the barrel, which is
to be dry and clean. You have now the
choice fruit you want. Remove with
as little disturbance as possible to the
cellar; or, if this a Considered toe
early, keep in an outbuilding till the
sweating has been gone through with
What is wanted is to protect from the
changes in the weather, which have 8
wide range in the fall before the setting
in of winter. In the cellar there Is 8
uniform condition. Extreme damp.
ness, as in our extremely wet fall
weather, is also avoided. Fruit gets
moreyhurt in the outbuildinesHhhn fol
the same length of time in the cellar
and if hurt in the start it will be felt all
winter.
The cellar, before the fruit is put in
should be, well aired }, and this, conGn-
ued during the fafl,,l closed only in q
warm or damp time. There is no diff.
Guilty in regulating. the temperature of 9
cellar in the fail, sufficient cold weather
occurring TO keep the cellar supplied
The fruit, thus early given q uniform
Temperature, will keep sound tlse better
during the winter, ifthe f'uiti is well
grown and carefully gathered and pu,
away. In such case, with a good cellar
the fruit may be left untouched till
wanted in the spring, as there is little
danger of its rotting,, the temperatpr
having been kept well reduced, asi
may with the great cold outside to bt
let in, If needed, at pleasure. Should
there be some rotten specimens owardl
spring !; let them remblu undisturbed
as handling the fruit in asserting has
tens the decay. 1t the rot should set il
strongly, use the fruit, or dispose of i
at once.
The time of gathering Is also an i'm
portant consideration in saving ths
frnit. Apples, to'be kept over winter
are not to be left on the trees till over
ripe-much less all sorts gathered a
the same time, as some mature earlier
than others. Fall fruit, to large ex
tent, is often left on the tree (what does
not falD till the winter varieties arc
taken in. Of course, being overripe, il
soon perishes. And so it is with the
winter varieties; some require earlier
picking; some, like the Russets, may
remain on the tree till frost compels re.
moval sand ,if theg fallis long one , Al
favors ripenihg; greater maturity ih.
ptoyes atRb BORT \ ID known that's
fruit gathered before fully ripe keeps
better, aud those intended for the long.
est keeping should be picked still soon
err, leaving those that are soonest used
latest, where but one sort is kept. For
instance, the Spitzenburg (Esopus),
which, if picked when hard aud moi
fully colored, may, withSproper 3care,
be kept tilliMay, retaini9d n och Of III
sprightliness, with little rot, LEFT on he
tree till fully ripened and colored-all
that favorable season can give it-in a
few weeks, if kept where somewhat
warm, 1t will ID for table use, and
mast 10 nsef b4 tmi lwinter, or it will
rot.-[Country Gent.