Gathering Apples And Pears

The progress of the season is marked by the fact that some of the earlier varieties - such as Irish Peach, Lady Sudeley, Mr. Gladstone, Duchess of Oldenburg, Lord Suffield, and Lord Grosvenor Apples; and Jargonelle and Williams' Bon Chretien Pears - are either ripe or near enough to it for use. A safe test of ripeness is to raise the fruit until the stalk is slightly above the horizontal at the apex or fruit end. This brings a gentle pressure to bear on the base, and if the stem breaks away the fruit is ready, but there ought not to be any necessity for twisting. The fruit should be spread on plain, clean boards in a cool, airy, sweet place. The Pears may require a little time to become quite mellow, but care must be taken that the Williams' does not go too far. It is soon past its best.

Plums

Early Plums, such as Rivers' Prolific and The Czar, are now ready, and later varieties are approaching ripening. If trees of Victoria are heavily laden, support the branches with poles, as this variety is liable to break down with the weight of its crop.

Raspberries

The old canes will have been cleared of their fruit by now, and it will facilitate the ripening of the young ones if the fruiters are cut right out immediately. Should the stools be very strong ones, and have thrown up in consequence a large number of young canes, some of these had better be cut out also. Half-a-dozen strong canes per stool will be ample. It will help them if a good soaking of liquid manure and a mulch of stable manure are given.

Strawberries

Where the advice given to strike early runners in pots has been followed there will now be a sufficient stock of young plants, and any later runners which form in the bed may be cut away. If left they root in the ground, and the rows get full of tangled growths. Those who rely on self-struck plants for their stock should pot up the strongest as soon as possible and clear the rest away. The bed then can be weeded, and left clean for the winter. The late self - struck runners are not likely to be of any use for fruiting before the second year.

Fig. 67. - Gathering Fruit.

a. An Apple gathered in the wrong way, as the buds are pulled away, 6, and the leaves also, c.

d. The Apple properly raised and gathered.

c. The stem parting from the branch.

f. Leaves and basal buds left intact.