Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-09-28
Harvesting Fruit,

~ Bhtuer Itult AT Just tue right time, and
in the best manner, requires good Judgment
and some practical experience. A large per
cent. of fruit is injured through Ignorance of
the proper time to harvest it, and how to
handle it in gathering. As hardly any two
varieties need to be treated alike, no rules
can be established but each cultivator must,
by close observation and experiment, learn to
gather each variety of his fruit SO it will be
IN the best possible condition for home use,
and the most valuable for the market.
Some varieties of fruit are best if left to
ripen on the tree, while others if permitted
to do so would be worthless, and while in one
location it would be best to rpen on the trees.
or vine, in another it would be ruinous not to
gather early and ripen the best we can in the
house. The Isabella grape if located where
1t will escape the frost until the last of Oeto-
Der, should be left on the vine until that time
when the flavor will be far superior 10 those
gathered earlier and ripened in the house
but If tho vine is not in a warm and sheltered
location, 1t would not be safe to leave the
fruit on the vine after the first of October
Az rule all winter fruit should be left mn
gathered until cool weather. There are some
exceptions, of which the cranberry is one
This fruit should be gathered before the frost
comes, but winter apples and pears shoNld
not be gathered as long as the weathet is
warm for If gathered and put up in
warm weather, they are very certain to rot
badly. Last year the weather was yery warm
until the 10th of October apples that were
gathered before that time rotted badly. while
those gathered after that time kept remarka.
bly, we'll.
The first week in October is usually the
best time to gather apples, but last wear was
an exception, the second week being much
the best.
As it is important to avoid sudden changes
OF temperature where winter fruit is kent, if
one has cool place with an even femme ra-
ture, the time of gathering is not of SO much
consequence
1t is also important that when fruit is once
packed, 1t should be left undist urbed until il
Is wanted for use or to send to market
The manner of gathering fruit is of the
highest Importance. We have often seen in.
telligent men gathering apples as though
they were stones, and could not be injured
they should be gathered as eggs, and handled
with as much care; every apple should be
picked from the tree by hand, and placed
carefully in basket lined with cloth. Every
apple that chances to drop to the ground
should be kept with those of tine third ouaT-
ty whatever may be its appearance. for when
1t strikes the ground it receives an injury that
in nine cases out of ten will bring on prema.
ture decay.
Apples or pears for market should be az.
sorted into four grades first. the LARGE and
fair; second, the medium, well. formed wind
falls and the irregular formed and small
picked fruit. By thus asserting them, if for
our own consumption we can, from time 10
time, obtain the quality we want, without
disturbing what we do not want IL Tor
marFaf w Ian, -
thus secure good price, and at the same
time give good satisfaction, for purchasers
are always better pleased with fruit that runs
even, and is as good in the middle of the bar
rel as on the top.
The custom of picking an orchard of an.
pies and storing them in large heaps in the
barn or other buildings, to remain until the
rush of fall business is over, and conven-
lent opportunity occurs to pick them over
and pack them for market, is not good one
If the heaps are large, while the TOP ones
VIII Wilt, the middle and bottom ones be.
come too damp; but this is not the worst
trouble When winter apples are first picked
the stems are green and bend readily and as
the apple is not fully ripe, skin and flesh il
strong enough, so that when the stem of one
apple touches the side of another it bends
before 1t breaks the skin but after an annie
has been gathered q few weeks the stan,
grows hard, even where the Iapple will keen
moist, and as the skin and flesh has becoma
tender, when the stem of one apple strikes
the side of another, it very often breaks tbs
skin and penetrates the flesh before IL will
bend, and thus destroy the keeping qualities
of the apple.
Apples that are in bins in the winter should
never be packed in barrels until short time
before they are to be consumed therefore II
is generally best to assert and barrel annles
for market under the trees, and at once re-.
move them where they are TO remain uptil
they are sent to market. The keeping onali- |
ties OF apples are often injured by not filling |
the barrels full enough they should be- filled |
80 full that the apples will not move when |
the barrel is turned over to insure this The |
head should be pressed in with lever.
Apples and pears should never be hacked |
In barrels when they are to be consumed in
the family. There are many reasons why
ms common practice Of using barrels TO pack |
rult IN Tor family use should not be contin-
led, We at the present time have numerous
varieties of fruit, so that to save a barrel of
each variety would be waste; a barrel is a
very unhandy thing to take fruit from, and
not easily kept covered tight and to have a
Darrel exposed to the air at one time will rot
the fruit more rapidly than a small family
would eat it if many varieties are kent
then It will necessitate the keeping of several
barrels open at the same time.
The better way is to have a set of souare
boxes made of suitable size, with covers on
hinges, 80 that they can at any time be OPEN
cd and the fruit examined. A box twenty
nch . long fourteen wide and ten deep, is a
good size some smaller ones for choice va
'ieties should be made. The boxes should
% hlled under the tree, as they can be easily
handled and carried to cool place without
hJurlng Inc iruit II properly arranged in
he cellar and marked; the several yaIieties
IAN be easily found, and one or more of easb
AIKEN out at any time without iniuring or
the others.
II ones means are limited boxes of various
izes can be bought of the grocer for few
ents each, and by fastening the covers to-
,elher with cleat, and attaching them TO
he boxes with leather hinges set of boxes
an DO obtained at cost not much exceeding
hat of barrels. The advantage of boxes
seI barrels Is SO great that when once adopt.
a there VIII be no desire to 20 back 10 bar
an |